To Dream of a Tale and To Tail a Dream
by Emilou1985
Summary: The Ronin Warriors meet Robyn (used in this story with permission from Ghost of Dawn) at a restaurant for the purpose of introducing her to the Warlords and Kayura. During their introductions, everyone admits that they all had dreams featuring Robyn. Robyn is hesitant to hear these dreams, and when the stories began flowing, that's when things become weird.
1. Chapter 1: The Meeting

To Dream of a Tale and to Tail a Dream

By Emilou

Chapter 1: The Meeting

The restaurant looked like a combination of a café and a bar. It was dark and gritty like the dives one would see on a cop show where the criminal element liked to hang out, but at the same time, it had a homey feel to it with its high, round tables and soft, soothing music in the background.

It wasn't the sort of place Robyn usually went to, but she had been told this was the restaurant she was to meet the others. She knew it because of the flowers in the planters in the window as well as the ceramic mushrooms, which looked cute and quaint if it wasn't for the neon sign flashing "OPEN."

Walking inside, Robyn set her green eyes on one large table in the back, seeing that her friends had already arrived. Cye, Kento, Ryo, Rowen and Sage sat on one side of the table together, but they weren't alone. The rest of the table's seats were taken by three tough-looking men whose ages varied from late twenties to early thirties, or so Robyn guessed. The final member of the group was a young woman who looked younger than Robyn, but sat with a calm maturity that was beyond her years.

When Robyn saw the four persons at the table that she didn't know, she had a sense of déjà vu. She could have sworn she had seen them before, but couldn't say exactly where.

Once they spotted her, the five teenage boys indicated for her to join them. Cye stood to fetch an extra chair while the others made room around the crowded table.

"You're late," Ryo told her, pointing to his wrist-watch.

"Sorry, I was caught up in something," Robyn apologized as she sat down. She tried to remember just exactly why she was late, but her mind suddenly went blank. She remembered she had been running for a long time. Was she running away from something? Or to something?

Not that that was important. Now that she was in the relaxing atmosphere and in the presence of friends, she didn't need to worry about that.

Seeing that everyone had already ordered drinks, Robyn craved something to drink. She looked around to see if a waitress was nearby, but the rest of the restaurant was empty. Perhaps she had to go to the counter to order one.

"So, these are them. The Warlords," Kento said without any preamble, gesturing to the three older men. "And Kayura, as well. This is Cale, Sekhmet and Dais." As Kento talked, he shuffled a deck of cards in his hands. He did this almost self-consciously, not looking down even once.

Robyn wished he would stop fiddling with the cards; the noise was distracting.

Kento sat next to Cale. When he introduced the scarred Warlord, Robyn felt apprehensive. It wasn't when she considered Cale by himself. He looked tough and scary with his pale scars and dark features, but by himself, Robyn didn't feel worried. It was when took in the picture of Cale and Kento sitting together that made her nervous. It was a strange feeling, and she immediately pushed it away. After all, Kento was her friend. He would never hurt her.

Robyn realized she had been staring at Cale, his intense gaze met hers. He watched her in an interested way.

The one called Skehmet sat next to Cale and was smoking a cigarette calmly. He regarded the teenage girl with half-closed eyes. Next to him was Dais, who watched her with a broad grin plastered unabashedly on his pale face. Even when Robyn looked away, the white-haired man kept smiling in a strange way. Kayura, who sat next to Robyn, was the only one to reach out her hand to shake during the introduction. However, their hands never met as the young woman started sneezing and had to pull out a large hanky to cover her nose.

"Sorry, allergies," Kayura explained in a stuffed-nose tone.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Robyn said politely, bowing her head to each of them and feeling uncomfortable under the gaze of the four strangers. "Are you in town for the day or. . .?"

"We are in town for the weekend. It was nice to see the Ronins again," Kayura said with a smile before sneezing again. When she looked up, she glared at the older men. "Isn't it?"

Cale, Dais and Sekhmet muttered their agreements, but Dais was the only one who looked the part with his startling grin still plastered on his face.

"And who are you?" Sekhmet asked, smoking coming out of his mouth after each syllable. His expression was a mixture of intrigue and worry.

"I'm Robyn," she told them with a small smile, noticing that the Warlords looked to have alcoholic drinks in front of them while Kayura had a glass of orange juice. She wondered once again if the restaurant really was a bar. Then again, she wasn't carded to get in.

On the other side of the table, Rowen sat with his face in one of his hands, looking tired. It was no wonder, with Rowen's late nights and his horrible sleeping habits. In front of the blue-haired Ronin was a steaming cup of coffee, which he stared into lazily.

On either side of Rowen was Cye and Sage. Cye, who sat next to Robyn, was enjoying a cup of tea. His mother liked to drink tea, but preferred European types rather than Japanese style. Cye had inherited the taste from her and had a tea cup in front of him as well as a few empty sugar packets. Sage liked tea on occasion, but preferred herbal tea. Robyn often teased him for having the tastes of an old man in that aspect. He now had a Japanese style tea cup in his hands and sipping it delicately as if in a formal tea ceremony.

Like Ryo did a moment ago, Sage looked at his own watch. Then he turned around and called out, "Can I get some more tea?"

A waitress, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, had two cups of tea on her tray as well as a coffee pitcher. She gave one to Sage and the other to Cye, lingering on the former as she cleared away the dirty tea cups. After she topped off Rowen's coffee, she asked if she could do anything else for the group.

Robyn was about ready to order a soda, but seeing the tea and coffee made her really want something warm to drink.

"Do you have hot chocolate?"

The waitress replied that she did and rushed off to the kitchen.

Wanting to know more about Kayura and the Warlords, Robyn asked, "You have armors just like the Ronins, right?" When she looked at Cale again, she felt a chill run down her back. Hoping to feel reassured by Kento's good nature, she moved her eyes on the dark-blue haired youth, but only felt the chill grow even worse. Why was she feeling like this? She rubbed her arms as if she were cold just to do something with her hands.

Dais, who was still smiling, answered her question. "Yes, we do. Mine is the armor of Illusion, Cale's is Darkness, Sekhmet: Venom and Kayura's armor is named Corruption, although she hasn't owned it long. It used to belong to a man named Anubis."

"They don't sound like very pleasant names," Robyn told him, her nose wrinkled.

"What do you mean by that?" Sekhmet asked her slowly, then taking a drag from his cigarette. His question wasn't an accusation; his tone was neutral rather than negative.

Robyn shrugged, wishing she hadn't said anything about the armors. "Then Ronin armors are named after the elements. Torrent. Wildfire. They sound natural. Your armors sound so. . ." Her sentence ended abruptly because she couldn't think of something other than "evil".

"Those aren't their original names," Sage informed them. "They used to be called something else, but when Talpa got his hands on them, he renamed them, corrupting them for his own purposes. He would have done the same to our armors if he had the chance." He sipped his tea sagely, living up to his name.

Seeing the logic in this, Robyn nodded before asking, "Who is Anubis?" She had heard the name before, but her information on him was lacking.

"Let's not talk about grim subjects," Dais told her, his smile growing wider. "You wanted to meet us, so what would you like to know?"

Then Cale spoke for the first time. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I dreamed about you last night."

The five Ronin Warriors turned to the bearer of Darkness, glaring at him defensively. They all leaned closer to Robyn as if protecting her.

"How else is she suppose to take that statement?" Kayura exclaimed, giving Cale a disapproving look much like a child would give her father for telling a dirty joke in front of her friends.

"Oopse. You said the wrong thing, Cale," Daise teased, his grin becoming so big it might split his head in two. He winked his one eye at Robyn.

Cale swore under his breath and looked away. "It's not what you think. All of us were there, too. It was a very strange dream."

Robyn already felt uneasy about Cale and even more so after that revelation. If it was one of the boys, she would have liked to hear about it and had a good laugh. But with Cale, she grew nervous under his attention.

Trying to lighten the mood and hopefully move to a different topic, she said, "You probably just dreamed about a red-head," she brushed it off. After all, how many red-heads lived in Japan? The one in Cale's dream must have been a coincidence.

"No, it was definitely you," Cale confirmed with a nod.

Before Robyn could change the subject to move away from her discomfort, Rown added, "I had a weird dream with Robyn in it last night, too." His earlier fatigue wearing off a little.

"Now that I think about it, so did I," Cye said before taking a sip from his tea.

Soon, everyone was admitting to having dreams last night, all of them starring Robyn. And they all admitted that the dreams were among the strangest they had ever had.

At this point, Robyn squirmed under so much attention. The coincidence of having everyone have a dream about her was so surreal that she thought about ducking into the bathroom for a minute to catch her breath. Then she remembered that she had a strange dream last night. As she could recall, she really liked the dream. There were some really funny parts, but also some scary moments. However, most of the details of her dream seemed to be beyond her. The more she concentrated on the dream, the more it pulled away from her.

Robyn was pulled away from her reminiscing as everyone else at the table wanted to tell about their dream first. They finally decided to draw straws to see who would go first. Robyn almost laughed at their behavior. A few were almost childish as they pouted when Kento drew the longest straw.

Robyn looked around for the waitress, hoping that she would bring her the hot chocolate she had ordered. It would have been a small comfort in such a strange situation. The one good thing was that Kento was first in line of a whole lot of bizarre.

She was sure that Kento's dream would entertaining, but was perturbed that she still felt anxious whenever she looked at him. Not to mention how he was constantly shuffling his deck of cards was becoming obnoxious. She wished he would put them away.

With one last shuffle of the deck, Kento stopped moving his hands and took a deep breath as if he were going to start telling his dream. But instead, he pointed away from the table.

Robyn followed Kento's finger to see what he was pointing to, thinking he was showing something that pertained to his dream. All she saw was a door, probably leading to the restrooms.

"That's where you'll see my dream," Kento told her with the usual laid-back grin on his face. With that, he went back to shuffling his cards.

Robyn felt a mixture of annoyance and confusion as she looked at the door, then back to Kento. He was looking at her so expectantly that Robyn was sure he was playing a joke on her. Thinking that she might as well get it over with, she stood and moved to the door. She opened it with mild interest, thinking that something would be behind it. Nothing. Before she could look back to Kento to give him a board look, the floor tilted toward the open doorway. She screamed in surprise, clinging to the door frame. Her fingers slipped and she fell into complete darkness.

After a minute, it didn't feel like she was falling. In fact, once she noticed the sensation of falling was gone, she could feel something solid underneath her shoes. Wondering where she was, Robyn stretched out her hands tentatively. Her hands came into contact with a stone wall. She felt relieved, clinging to the solid wall as if it would stop her from falling again.

As she was feeling around the wall and moving along it, her hand scrapped roughly against a sharp rock, and she cried out in pain.

A hand shot out of the dark and wrapped around her mouth, pulling her down to the ground. "Shhh! Don't make a sound!"

(Author's note: Robyn does not belong to me. She is a character belonging to Ghost of the Dawn, who has given me permission to use her in this fanfic. If you would like to read Ghost's fanfic that tells about how Robyn met the Ronins, Ghost of the Dawn is in my favorite author's list.)


	2. Chapter 2: Kento's Dream

To Dream of a Tale and to Tail a Dream

By Emilou

Chapter 2: Kento's Dream

"Shhhh! Don't make a sound."

Although Robyn stiffened when the hand covered her mouth, but once she recognized that the harsh voice belonged to Kento she relaxed. She felt him pull her to the ground and knelt beside him. His warning was the only thing keeping her from asking where they were or what happened with the door.

Underneath her legs, she could feel cold stone. Only through touch and sound was she able to determine that Kento was right next to her. It was completely dark save for a few slits of light in the stone. Once her eyes had adjusted to the dim light, she could see that Kento was peering through one of these cracks.

She did the same, seeing that on the other side showed a room that was partially opened to the outdoors. The architecture of the room looked European and medieval. There were a few stone statues of men in armor and some of the pillars had mythical creatures carved into them, but other than that, there wasn't much decoration.

Movement caught Robyn's eye before she realized there were people in the room. Two were dressed as if they were soldiers in armor of metal and dark leather. They guarded the part of the room without a wall that was opened to the sun and wind. At closer inspection, she recognized the two soldiers to be Kayura, her purple hair cascading out her metal helmet and Dais with his white hair and eye patch.

She wasn't an expert at European history, but seeing Kayura in the outfit seemed out of place, but the girl wore the armor as if she were born to it.

More sound reached Robyn's ears on the other side of the wall, but it was faint. She adjusted her position so she could see more of the room, spying more people gathered in the center of the room. The group was standing around a raised platform of wood.

Before the platform was the cross-scarred Warlord, Cale, dressed in clothing that fit the scenery: a tunic, leggings, high leather boots and a decorative cape. On his head was an eight-spire crown encrusted with gems. He held a large sword in front of him, staring at the weapon with a look of dire concentration. He was saying something, but his voice didn't carry well.

The rest of the crowd consisted of men and women she didn't know. The only person Robyn recognized was Cye, who was standing near Cale. He was dressed similarly to Cale, but his clothing didn't look as fine. Strapped to his belt was a sheathed sword.

"What's going on?" Robyn asked softly.

"I can't hear what they're saying, but it looks like the king is giving his final speech to his brother," Kento whispered, his voice sounding raspy as if he needed something to drink. "Let's get closer.

 _King?_ Robyn asked confused. Although she had a slew of questions, she kept them to herself. She wasn't sure what was going on, but was willing to wait and see.

Kento took her hand and led her into the dark. They moved only a few meters before they stopped, coming across more cracks in the stone wall. These ones were closer to the platform, and they could see and hear better.

By this time, Cale had stopped talking and lowered his sword. He moved closer to the wooden platform, laying the sword on top of the platform where a bundle of clothing lay.

At closer inspection, Robyn could see that the bundle of clothing was a body dressed in newly polished armor and a small crown on his head. Cale gently place the sword in the body's hands, touching the still face of who Robyn assumed was his brother.

 _This is a funeral_ , Robyn figured out, feeling ashamed that they were spying on the ceremony. _But why are we spying? And why is Cye there?_

But those questions left her thoughts as she recognized the face and light blue hair of the body that was laying on the platform.

"Rowen!" Robyn exclaimed. Once again, a hand clasped over her mouth.

"I told you to be quiet," Kento rebuked harshly.

His hand felt unusually large and rough to Robyn, and his touch hurt her. So Kento wouldn't be mad again, Robyn asked her next question in a whisper. "What happened to Rowen? Is he. . .?"

"He died last night, trying to protect the king," was Kento's gruff reply.

The words splashed over her like cold slime down her back. "What? That can't be. We were just talking to him at the table a few minutes ago. What's going on, Kento? What happened when I walked through that door?" Her voice continued to rise in volume until Kento silenced her again by grabbing her arms and shaking her.

"You must be quiet, Robyn. If they discover us, who do you suppose they will accuse of the prince's murder?" Kento hissed. Although Kento was treating her roughly, he then drew her toward him, holding her tightly in an embrace.

 _Rowen? Dead? The king's younger brother?_

Robyn felt dizzy as the whole surreal scene spun through her thoughts. Was this real? How could Rowen and Cale be brothers? This must be some sort of prank or hallucination. She wanted to push away from Kento and yell at him to stop scaring her. She wanted Rowen to sit up and tell her it was all an elaborate joke. But she was frozen in Kento's arms, his warnings preventing her from doing anything else.

"It is time. The prince is ready to join the Ancient One," Cye's voice came through the cracks.

Robyn and Kento moved back to the cracks to watch as Cale lingered over Rowen's body, his face full of sorrow. Only when Cye place a hand on his shoulder did he turn away from the platform.

"Do it," Cale rasped.

Cye signaled the guards on the other end of the room to approach. Dais and Kayura marched forward with torches in their hands. Their faces were deadpan as they lowered the torches to the platform and Rowen's prone body.

"NO!" Robyn couldn't help crying out as the hungry flames jumped along the bundles of wood. Kento didn't silence her this time, only held onto her tighter. If anyone heard her, they didn't react. Tears filled her eyes as she turned away, not wanting to see the fire consume Rowen.

Kento let her cry in his arms for a while before murmuring to her, "They're leaving the funeral pyre. We must follow them before the king is the next to leave this world."

Robyn wished she could see Kento's face; the seriousness in his voice made her wonder if this was really her friend. But then again, everything about this day didn't seem normal.

Kento helped her stand up, leading her farther through the dark tunnels inside the stone walls. They turned several corners, passing many lit cracks in the wall before they stopped.

Finding a new eye-hole, Robyn looked at her limited view of this new room. Unlike the other room, this one was enclosed all around and decorated elaborately with stained-glass windows, tapestries, paintings, antlers and skins of animals, and ancient stone statues. On one side of the large room was a beautiful throne, gilded in gold with a rack of large antlers on top.

Robyn and Kento's pathway within the walls must have been faster since they were in place when Cale and Cye arrived with their procession of subjects and guards. Cale strode to his throne and crumpled there as Cye stood nearby. Cale covered his face with one hand, which made everyone remain silent and still.

Whispering, Robyn asked, "Why is Cye standing by the throne when everyone else stays back?"

"Cye is Cale's cousin and his adviser," Kento replied quietly.

 _Anything else I'm suppose to know?_ Robyn thought, feeling anxious. With the disturbing scene earlier, she wanted out of the dark, tight space, but forced herself to remain still.

Soon, Cye touched Cale's shoulder as he said, "Sire, I know it is so soon after your brother's death, but we must decide what to do about the monsters."

The large throne room had great acoustics, which allowed Robyn to hear Cye perfectly.

"Yes," Cale agreed, straightening up in his throne and looking to be the imposing king he should be. "We have been betrayed. My brother deserves vengence. But we are lacking in warriors. Who is brave enough to track the monsters to their lair?"

From the entrance into the throne room, Dais coughed, looking at if he wanted to speak. He waited for a signal from Cale before he approached, kneeling at the king's feet.

"Sire, I waited until after the prince's funeral to announce that you have a guest," Dais spoke in a solemn tone. "He has traveled from Hrothgar and wishes to speak to you." He quickly glanced up at Cye before bowing his head back down.

Cale mulled this over, this face lined with grief. After a time, he whispered, "Let them in."

Dais quickly obeyed, his metal-shod boots thumping against stone. It wasn't long before he returned, followed by three men.

Clad in heavy armor that gleamed and a great bear pelt around his shoulders was Ryo, flanked by Sage and Sekhmet in identical armors. They carried themselves like proud warriors, their strides confident.

Once in front of Cale, Dais bowed before returning to his place guarding the entrance of the throne room.

Cale stood, towering before Ryo with his great height. "Who are you? Why have you come?"

Ryo swept his robe back to fall onto one knee, bowing his head. After this grand bow, he returned to stand. "My name is Ryo. Many years ago, you did a great service for my father, Ecgtheow. I have come to repay that debt."

Cale rubbed his chin. "Yes, I remember your father. How is he?"

"He is dead, my Lord."

"And left you a debt to repay."

"One that I am happy to perform, Sire."

Nodding, Cale said, "You have come at an unfortunate time, yet it may be providence that you arrived when I am in need of warriors."

"Indeed? What deed do you ask of me?"

Cale's jaw hardened. "Last night, my brother was murdered by a monster who tried to assassinate me."

This news surprised Ryo.

"Pray, my Lord, who did such a thing? I would be honored to avenge his death," Ryo announced, his hand on his sword hilt.

Cale bared his teeth, but didn't speak.

It was Cye who had to answer. "We believe it was a Grendelian that killed Prince Rowen."

Robyn was so absorbed in the scene that she forgot where she was. She nearly jumped when she heard Kento growl next to her.

"I have heard of the half-beasts of Grendela," Ryo said. "But I thought that the people of the North had killed them all."

"No, not all. The king had allowed two of them to stay in the swamps as refugees. It is sickening how they turned on him after all the kindness he had shown them," Cye said, his voice filled with hate.

"I heard that the Grendelians were a peaceful people, despite their beastly appearance," Sage contradicted. He looked uncertain of what he said, especially in the presence of a king.

"That is one rumor we regret listening to," Cye acknowledged. "One that they probably started for their own advantage. We know it was them from the claw and bite marks on Prince Rowen's body."

"With you Majesty's permission, I will start tracking down these two monsters on the morrow. By tomorrow's eve, you will have their heads for your mantle," Ryo promised.

"And when you do, your father's debt will be repaid," Cale proclaimed. "You have my permission to take some of my men as well as to arm your. . . "

"I've heard enough," Kento's rough voice snarled in Robyn's ear. "Let's get out of here."

Robyn felt his hand enclose hers, pulling her through more dark passageways of the castle. This time, they were walking for several minutes before they turned a corner and a circle of light appeared. The sudden light hurt her eyes, and she pulled her hand out of Kento's to cover her face.

"Come on, we have to go," Kento said urgently.

"But I can't see," Robyn complained. She felt Kento pull a hood over her head to help block out the sun.

"We have to hurry," Kento whispered.

Robyn felt herself being lifted into his arms. Before she knew it, he was running faster than was humanly possible, the wind tugging at her clothing and face. Through the flapping of her hood, she could see them running from a castle, heading downhill. She nearly screamed when he leaped off a rocky cliff, dropping twenty feet onto more rocks. He continued to leap from rock to rock like a mountain goat, effortlessly, his breath coming no quicker than if he were jogging. Once the hill leveled out, they entered a dense forest.

As they traveled through the forest, Robyn thought this was the best time to ask one of her many questions. She adjusted her grasp around his neck before looking up into his face. Before she could ask anything, she took in Kento's features and gasped.

Thick brown hair seemed to have crawled across his face, covering most of his chin and cheeks. His mouth was opened in a grimace, and Robyn could see animal-like canine teeth, sharp and deadly. His dark blue hair had grown long and ragged. As the wind blew his hair back, she could see two equine-like ears sticking up as well as two black horns growing out of his head.

What had happened to him?  
"What's the matter, Robyn?" Kento asked her worriedly, noticing how stiff she was in his grip.

Robyn squirmed under his gaze, seeing how his pupils were slitted like a cat's. "I. . .I need to stop," she cried out, trying to hide her shock.

Kento slowed down. "But we're not far from home. We'll be there soon."

"Please, stop."

Kento obeyed, gently tilting her until she was back on her feet. "Are you sick?" he asked, rubbing her back.

Robyn hugged herself, trying not to flinch from Kento's touch, seeing how hairy his arms were and the long claws on his hands. She glanced down, seeing that Kento's legs were anything but human, the bone structure looking closer to a wolf's.

Cye's words came to her then. _We believe it was a Grendelian that killed Prince Rowen._ And Ryo described those "Grendelians" as half-beasts. Monsters. It didn't take much for her to put two-and-two together.

Was that why Kento was creeping around the castle? Did he kill Rowen?

"Kento," she said softly, finally daring to say something. "They said that you killed Rowen."

"Which is why we need to get back to our lair and arm ourselves," Kento said gruffly.

"Arm ourselves?" Robyn felt ice running through her veins.

"Yes, to prepare for the next attack."

 _Next attack?_ Robyn thought in a panic. _Does that mean he did kill Rowen? Is he going to kill Cale next? What is happening? This is so messed up!_

Robyn wanted to cry. She covered her face with her hands as anxiety threatened to consume her. When she did, she felt her fingernails scratching against her skin, sharper than she was used to. Looking down to see if they needed trimming, she squeaked as she saw that her hands were similar to Kento's. She rubbed her arms, feeling the animal-like fur that covered them. Following her thoughts, her hands went to her face, feeling the fur there. Her tongue ran over her teeth, and she felt the teeth were sharper and differently spaced. With shaking hands, she ran her hands through her hair, finding the long ears and horns growing there.

She felt faint.

"You don't look very good," Kento observed, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Shaking her head, Robyn was so startled that she felt weak. A minute ago, she could have sworn she didn't have these features. Wouldn't she have noticed the changes? Wouldn't she? The longer she was thinking about it, the more she second guessed herself.

She was a Grendelian. She was a monster. Did she kill Rowen too? Could she trust Kento? Could she trust herself?

"Come on. Let's go home," Kento said, picking her up again.

Robyn didn't struggle, but welcomed the physical contact. With all the emotions running through her, she felt exhausted. Part of her didn't care who or what Kento was, she just wanted everything to go away.

After a few more minutes of running, the forest slowly changed to swamp. The air became moist and smelled of mildew and rotting things. Occasionally, Kento had to walk through knee deep water.

Soon, they arrived at a pond with an island in the middle of it. On the island was a crudely made shack made of drift-wood, dried grass and animal skins. Kento waded through the pond, the water nearly coming to his hips. Once on the island, Kento set her back down and went into the humble home.

Still in a stunned state, Robyn turned to the pond to see her reflection. Seeing her changed features seemed to make them more real than just feeling them. She had imagined that the horns, ears and fangs would have made her look fearsome, but instead she looked melancholy.

"Did Prince Rowen's funeral affect you that much?" Kento asked, returning to her side.

 _Part of it,_ Robyn thought, although she nodded. She looked up into Kento's face, seeing the him beyond the animal characteristics. His pupils were dilated and looked like his old ones. She saw the Kento that she knew. She had a hard time believing that he could be responsible for anyone's death. She threw her arms around him tightly, feeling his strong embrace in return. It felt like Kento. It sounded like Kento. She believed that this was, indeed, Kento.

"Maybe I should return to the castle by myself," Kento told her, running the back of his fingers down her face, his expression worried.

That's when Robyn saw that he was dressed in crude leather armor that covered his chest, arms and legs. In on hand was a wooden spear with a sharp, rock tip.

"Or maybe you shouldn't go either," Robyn reasoned, nervous at the sight of Kento's armor and weapon. "Couldn't we just leave things as they are?"

Kento looked concerned and angry. "Leave things? You saw what happened at the castle. We can't just leave things as they are."

"Kento, I don't want anyone else to get hurt," Robyn told him. She wasn't sure what was going on, how she came to be in this place or how she and Kento looked the way there did. All she knew was that she was scared and wanted some time to think. "We could just run away."

"We can't," Kento declared, pounding his spear butt against the earth. "We can't let the king stay in that castle with a murderer."

Robyn was about to continue her plea, but his words confused her. "Huh?" was all she could mutter.

"We have to protect the king," Kento told her with determined eyes. "He let us stay in his kingdom when everyone else chased us away. We can't let him die."

"But I thought. . ." but Robyn couldn't finish her sentence.

"No doubt the real murderer wants the king to think we did. An easy escape goat to blame it on the 'monsters'," Kento spat vehemently.

"Then who killed Rowen?" Robyn asked, feeling relieved that it wasn't Kento.

Kento narrowed his eyes. "I don't know. It could be anyone. It might even be those new-comers. They came at an awfully convenient time. They could have sneaked in the castle last night in an assassination attempt, then pretended they arrived this morning."

The reminder of Rowen's death made Robyn shudder.

"We'll find out tonight," Kento continued. "I'm sure the real murderer will try to kill the king tonight, while he's still grieving for his brother. He'll also have no one to blame if that man, Ryo, succeeds in his promise tomorrow."

Robyn didn't know much about this world, but already the speculation and subplots that Kento was talking about was making her nervous. Things were going by so fast, she hadn't had time to figure out what was going on.

Back in America and after she returned to Japan, a lot of weird and scary things had happened to her, but whatever this was, it was different. Was something manipulating her friends, making them act this way? Or did she stumble into an alternate dimension?

"Are you feeling better?" Kento asked, rubbing her arm.

"Yeah, I guess," Robyn said, shaking herself from her thoughts.

"Do you want to stay here or come with me?"

Robyn bit her lip, forgetting her sharp canines and drawing blood. She ignored the pain as she thought this over. Staying behind sounded good to her, but she suspected it was the wrong answer. Whatever or whoever had sent her here most likely didn't want her to play it safe. She had a feeling that if she wanted out of this. . .world, she had to go with Kento.

"I'm coming."

"Then let me help you get ready," he said. He went back into the small house and returned with some armor and a spear similar to his own, but smaller.

Although her mind rejected the thought of putting on the armor, she reluctantly strapped on the breast plate while Kento laced on some leg guards. At first, the leather was cold, but it warmed quickly against her skin. The leather was rough and stiff, but still flexible enough to moved with her body.

Once girded with her armor, Robyn took the spear that Kento handed her. It felt light, yet strong in her hands.

"It's night. We must go," Kento announced.

Robyn scowled at him in confusion. It wasn't night.

But as she thought this, she looked around seeing that it was dark. Up in the sky, the moon and stars shone brightly. Perhaps it was the full moon or her animal-eyes, but she could see everything perfectly as if it were day.

 _The sun must have set without me noticing,_ Robyn thought to herself. But even as she thought this, she felt as if night had fallen within minutes, and that the sun had been high in the sky while she and Kento conversed.

Ignoring the uneasy feeling about the sky, Robyn prepared herself for what was to come, following Kento as he started to cross the pond, hesitating when the cold water soaked through her fur.

Once away from the pond and the swampy part of the forest, Kento picked up speed, running through the darkness. Robyn wondered if she would be able to keep up with him and was surprised with how fast she could run herself. Between being able to see the forest at night clearly as well as running twice as fast as she ever had, she actually had fun chasing Kento. If it wasn't for the spear in her hand and what they were running to, she would have enjoyed the situation.

Once the forest thinned, Kento slowed down until stopping at the sight of the castle. He grabbed Robyn's arm and told her, "We'll go around to the west side of the castle. That's where the King's bedroom is."

"Why do we sneak around? Can't we just go up talk to them?" Robyn asked, trying one last time to find a peaceful solution.

"I doubt they let us get a word in," Kento replied sadly. "I don't think they're interested in taking us as prisoners."

Disappointed, Robyn followed Kento as he circled the hill the castle was on before climbing up the rocky side as quietly as a cat creeps upon a mouse.

At the top, they hid behind a rocky outcrop as soldiers marched by with torches, their metal armor clanking with each step. Once the soldiers were gone, Kento race to the castle's wall, pulling Robyn along. From there, he used his claws and spear to scale the castle wall, expertly finding hand and foot holds in the rough stone and gaps in the mortar.

Robyn gulped at the high wall, knowing that Kento expected her to follow. Could she do it? Could she climb up sixty feet of stone and not fall?

Her large, equine ears could hear more soldiers approaching. Fearing they would see her, she summoned her courage and hoped that her stronger, faster body would help her. Trying to mimic Kento's actions, she used her spear and claws to find the same hand-holds, scaling up fifteen feet in a matter of seconds. It was surprising how easy it was.

When the soldiers walk around the corner and the torch-light danced on the wall, both Kento and Robyn froze. Robyn became aware just how exposed they were on the wall. She was like a target hanging against the stone, ready to have a spear thrown at her. But the clanking march of the soldiers didn't stop, but continued in its same rhythm around the corner.

Robyn sighed with relief and began climbing again. She was surprised when she arrived to the balcony, helped up by Kento.

Kento crept along the balcony, careful to stay along the edges as he moved to the door. Robyn did likewise and peered into the room. The moonlight didn't shine well inside, so it was hard to make out anything besides a bed. There were lumps in the covers. Even through the glass, Robyn could hear soft breathing with her keen ears.

"He's still alive. Good," Kento whispered so softly that it sounded like the wind. "We'll wait here all night if we have to."

But all night wasn't necessary. They only had to wait for thirty minutes before they picked up something other than soft breathing. At the sound of the door opening and closing, Robyn and Kento turned to the glass, their animal eyes picking out the slightest movement of a man-shaped shadow gliding in the dark. The moonlight glinted on the metal surface of a blade.

Kento leaped to action, crashing through the glass door and throwing himself at the shadow.

Robyn could barely see the fight. Not knowing what else to do, she stayed back

During all the raucous fighting that was happening in the room, the form in bed tossed aside the bedding and shouted, "Attack! To me, my men."

Immediately two more men burst through the door with torches in their hands, lighting the room and revealing the faces of everyone involved. The two men that burst in were Sage and Sekhmet. The man in the king's bed wasn't Cale, but Ryo, dressed in armor and sword in hand.

"Now, let us see this beast up close," Ryo told his men, heading to the corner where Kento was still tussling with the assassin.

Kento rolled away and positioned himself in a feral defense, spear ready to attack. Seeing who he was fighting, he looked surprised. "You!"

"Get him. Get the monster!" Cye shouted, coughing and massaging his neck. "Be careful, Ryo. The beast is strong."

"It was you who killed the king's brother," Kento growled. He lunged at Cye with his spear, only to be blocked by Ryo's sword.

"Kento, watch out!" Robyn shouted, seeing Sekhmet coming from behind. She shrieked as Kento managed to block Sekhmet's strike.

"It's the female," Cye shouted, noticing Robyn. "Get her. The two are after the king."

Kento roared, his pupils shrinking to slits. He locked onto Cye, brandishing his spear. "You stay away from her," he shouted.

Seeing that he was Kento's target, Cye backed away, pointing at Kento threatening. "Put them down quickly."

Seeing that he was being surrounded, Kento made the first move against the three warriors. Using his spear's handle and a metal bedpan as a shield, he jumped at Ryo and his men, pinning them against the king's bed.

"Robyn, I'll take care of these three. Go after Cye. He must not be allowed to roam the castle freely," Kento shouted.

Robyn became immobile the moment she had seen Cye. No, this couldn't be. Not her Cye. He wouldn't hurt anyone. Could she do as Kento asked? Could she fight her best friend?"

But as she looked into his green eyes, she saw something she'd never seen before: pure hatred. Among all the confusion of the day, she knew one thing. That was not her Cye!

Robyn lifted her spear and ran at Cye. Despite the young man being armed with a sword, he turned and fled the room.

"After him," Kento ordered her as he fought the three warriors at once. "Stop him. You can't let him get to the king."

Robyn rushed out the door, seeing that Cye was racing down the darkened hallway. She was surprised when Kento followed after her, slammed closed the door and braced it with his spear.

"That won't hold them for long," Kento said, rushing down the hallway with Robyn on his heels.

Before they came across Cye, a troop of soldiers rounded the corner, all of them nameless except for Kayura and Dais. Kento didn't stop to grapple with any of them. He roared and barreled right through them, knocking half of them down and scaring the rest enough that they moved out of his way. Robyn followed behind, her spear enough to keep the soldiers away.

Apparently Cye had hoped that the soldiers would have kept the Grendelians at bay and look startled as Kento kept after him through the obstacle. With his head start gone, he turned to go up a spiraling staircase.

Robyn followed after Kento, taking the steps two at a time just to keep up with her friend. When they reached the top of the stairs, Robyn slammed into Kento's back since he had stopped suddenly.

At the top of the stairs was an open door leading out onto the turrets of the castle, statues of gargoyles, dragons and other beasts carved out of the stone guarded the walkways. There was no sign of Cye, although he could be hiding just outside the door or behind any of the statues.

Kento sniffed at the air tentatively. He inched toward the door.

"Wait," Robyn whispered, handing over her spear since Kento didn't have one.

Taking the weapon, Kento carefully moved out the door, trying to look in all directions at once. While he was looking behind the door to see if Cye was hiding there, the assassin stepped out from behind a statue, sword raised to slice off Kento's head. Kento heard him and was able to dodge with only a wound to his arm.

Now weaponless, Robyn felt that she would be more of a hindrance than a help to Kento, but she still wanted to assist. At that moment she heard footsteps coming up the staircase. She edged out the door into the night air, watching the stairs with wide eyes as Ryo, Sage and Sekhmet joined them on top of the castle. Now surrounded, Robyn went to Kento, who pushed her behind him.

"Now we have them cornered," Cye said with a vicious grin. "Let's drive them to their deaths."

The four warriors directed their swords at Kento and Robyn, slowly advancing toward them, herding them toward the turrets and a seventy foot drop.

"Wait!" Robyn shouted, pushing herself in front of Kento despite his protests. "Please, listen to me, Ryo. We didn't come to hurt the king. We're innocent," she called to him.

Ryo stopped at the sound of his name, looking surprised at hearing her speak.

"Don't listen to her, Ryo," Cye sneered. "They're wild beasts. They'll say anything to gain your trust, and when you have your guard down, they'll tear out your liver."

Ryo continued to advance.

"We didn't kill the king's brother. We weren't trying to kill the king," Robyn continued to explain, her voice pleading.

"Then why were you in the king's chambers?" Sage demanded. "Explain that!"

"We were guarding him," Kento shouted. "We wanted to make sure the real killer wouldn't do what he had done to Prince Rowen."

Sekhmet shook his head. "Lord Ryo, these two are obviously trying to confuse us. There was no one else in the room."

"Except Cye," Robyn accused, feeling a stab in her heart as she said it. _It's not my Cye. It's not the real Cye,_ she kept telling herself.

"Cye is the king's cousin," Ryo explained to them, as if that was an alibi.

"Then what was he doing in the king's chambers? You were there Lord Ryo. He entered without announcing himself. Why would he sneak in the room with a weapon?" Kento inquired, glaring at Cye.

"Shut your mouth, you filthy beast," Cye shouted, lunging at the half-beast with his sword.

However, the strike was deflected by Ryo's weapon, easily knocking away Cye's jab. "Stop it. Nobody move," he ordered, his voice commanding. At his word, Sage and Sekhmet stopped advancing on the Grendelians.

Ryo scrutinized Kento and Robyn. "If you two are telling the truth, then throw down your weapon and surrender. I promise you that in the morning, the king will get to the bottom of this. You will be given a chance to explain yourself."

"My Lord, perhaps you're being too lenient," Sekhmet hissed.

"Yes. They are savage beasts. You can tell by their primitive weapons," Cye spat out. "You cannot trust them."

Ryo turned his gaze onto Cye. "Then perhaps you can explain why you were sneaking into the king's chamber," he told Cye coldly, his face expectant.

Cye looked dumb-founded. "You're taking their word over mine? Need I remind you that I am the king's adviser and kinsman."

"And I have heard your advice. So will the king. Tomorrow, everyone will get their chance to speak," Ryo said. "As is according to your king's law. However, I will give you the chance to defend yourself now."

Cye gritted his teeth. "I was checking the king's room for assassins. I did not want to disturb him," he said, acting innocent. "Apparently I was right, for I caught this creature about to murder him."

"That's a lie," Kento shouted, lunging at Cye, but kept back by Sage's blade. "What motive would I have to kill the king? He let us live on his land in peace when every other kingdom drove us away. Why would we give that up?"

"You're savage beasts," Cye snarled. "You don't need a motive to kill."

Kento growled, his teeth bared.

Robyn then spoke. "If King Cale dies, who inherits the throne?" she wondered, having a good guess.

Ryo glanced at Cye. "As the king's cousin and his adviser, Lord Cye would." He pursed his lips at that, considering his options. Ryo then turned back to the Grendelians. "If you surrender, I promise upon my life that you will be safe and will be given an opportunity to speak to the king. Also, you and your companion will be given food and water, and your wounds will be treated."

Kento growled, his feral eyes locked on Cye. "How can you guarantee our safety? Even your men look like they're ready to cut our heads off."

"Because you have my word," a deep voice said from behind them.

Everyone turned and bowed as they saw King Cale was standing behind them with Kayura and Dais nearby.

"Your Highness," Ryo said, bowing. "I thought that we'd agree you'd stay in hiding until it was safe."

"Considering you have the suspects in hand and disarmed, I think it is safe enough," Cale said, scrutinizing the situation.

Kento bowed and Robyn followed suit.

"Your Majesty, please believe me that we did not murder your brother," Kento pleaded to the king. "We would never betray the kindness you have shown us."

King Cale looked sad and tired. "I wish I could believe you, but I am unsure of anything right now. The hour is late and not the time to decipher riddles of this sort. But I assure you, I will get to the bottom of this in the morning. Lord Ryo, escort all three suspects to the dungeon and stay with them all night."

Cye looked surprised. "Three? Surely, Sire, you are not believing these monsters' ridiculous story. I have been loyal to you for years."

"Yet, a shadow has been shed upon your reputation. I cannot push aside facts for family love," Cale told Cye. "Relinquish your sword. If you are innocent, you have nothing to fear, cousin."

Cye looked angry at first, but then changed his grip on his sword as if to surrender it.

Ryo stepped forward to take the weapon, but before he could take the hilt, Cye struck. In a flash, the king's cousin slashed at Ryo, aiming for his neck. If Ryo had been a bit slower or wasn't wearing his armor, he would have died instead of only wounded.

But Cye wasn't finished. With Ryo off his guard, he pushed the raven-haired young man away and rushed at the king. But the king wasn't completely helpless. From inside his cloak, he managed to unsheathed a dagger in time to stop Cye's sword.

"Cousin. It was you?" Cale spat, barring his teeth as he pushed Cye away. "You killed my brother."

"Only because he was in the way of killing you," Cye replied as he lunged again at Cale, a dark smile on his lips.

Cale back away, gesturing to the guards that stood near Cye. "Men, arrest him."

Cye smiled as Kayura and Dais moved to his side, but didn't touch him. "They aren't going to follow your orders," he laughed. "Nobody will once I kill you and take the throne." He attacked the king wounding Cale in the side. He would have finished off the king if Sekhmet and Sage hadn't stepped in to prevent it.

During that time, Kento whispered to Robyn, "We must protect the king." They had been forgotten during the skirmish. Kento scooped up his crude spear and a sword that had been discarded. He gave the spear to Robyn, holding the sword clumsily at Cye. "You'll have to go through me first," he told Cye.

"With pleasure, beast," Cye shouted, lunging at Kento.

As the two fought, Robyn could only stand still with the spear in her hands.

"Get the king to safety," Kento told her, trying to push Cye farther away. But it was obvious who was winning the fight between the two of them. Kento may have been larger and had his animal-like reflexes and strength, but Cye's skill with the sword was the bigger advantage to Kento's clumsy skills.

Before Robyn could help the king back into the castle, she saw Kento tricked by a faint from Cye's sword. He dodged the wrong way, leaving him open to attack. Cye's sword sliced through his leg. With his other arm already injured, Kento didn't have the strength to stop himself from falling.

"Kento!" Robyn shouted. She wanted to run to him, but Cye was marching toward her, his blood-covered sword raised to kill her. She just barely stopped his first attack with her spear. Almost on reflex, she swung her spear and nicked his cheek.

As if drawing his blood made him frenzied, Cye attacked vehemently.

Robyn did her best to dodge and block his sword, but soon her spear lay in pieces, no match for the metal weapon.

"You beast," he spat. "You mangy, malcontent creature. Perhaps if you had kept your filthy nose out of this, I would only have driven you out of the kingdom. Instead, you shall die for being in my way, along with the king."

Robyn tensed. She thought to run, but that would mean leaving the king to Cye's mercy. Instead, she stood still, raising the largest piece of her spear she kept, little good it would do her.

Cye easily knocked her measly weapon from her hands and kicked her to the ground. With his opponent disarmed and completely helpless, he raised his sword to plunge it into Robyn's chest.

"Nooo!" Kento's voice cried out. His body stepped in front of hers.

"Kento," she called out, knowing that she couldn't do anything to save him. She couldn't bear it, that he would die for her. She leaped at him, wrapping her arms around him. She could feel his body seize and tremble simultaneously as the sword entered his back and exited through her own. She felt blood running down her chest and back.

Over Kento's shoulder, Robyn saw Cye grin as he pulled back the sword with a grunt. "Two beasts with one stroke," he murmured, please with himself. But his smile was replaced with a frown. Looking down, he saw a sword tip protruding from his own chest. He sagged as the sword receded, then collapse to the floor.

Standing behind him was Ryo, clenching his shoulder where Cye's sword wounded him, but not as much as the traitor had thought.

Still in each others' arms, Kento and Robyn dropped to their knees, then to their sides. As she lay on the cold stone, she could hear Ryo talking to Cale.

"Your Majesty, are you safe?"

"Yes, but what about them?" Cale asked.

Robyn saw Ryo lean over her and Kento and look surprise. "They're still alive."

"Help them," Cale ordered.

But Robyn knew there was no help for them. Even though she knew she was dying, she felt little pain.

With his last remaining strength, Kento held Robyn close and stroked her hair. "I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen," he told her in a whisper.

She touched his face tenderly, brushing away his tears as she let her own flow. She gazed into his eyes, his loving, caring eyes. The eyes of her Kento.

Kento smiled, soft and sweetly despite his animal, brutish appearance. With his last raspy breath, he leaned over and kissed her, closing his eyes for the last time.

Robyn closed her eyes as well, not wanting to see death on his face, denying everything she had seen. She closed them tighter and tighter, but the tears still escaped.

 _This isn't right_ , she thought, holding Kento tighter, although she felt her strength leaving her. The world didn't feel right. Her eyes were closed, but it was as if she were being tilted or gravity was switching directions. She felt strange and unbalanced.

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and was shocked.

Gone was the castle. Gone were the soldiers, the swords, spears and the medieval world. Gone was the night sky, the pain and the blood on steel. Ryo was still there. And so was Cye.

And Kento, alive and breathing. Not the Kento with canine teeth, horns and fur covering every inch of him. Gone were the talons, claws and tail.

She was back at the café, sitting with her friends and the Warlords. The waitress came by with her hot chocolate, looking at her strangely.

That's when Robyn realized she was still crying.

"It was strange," Kento said, looking down at his hands, a sad smile on his face. "I woke up from that dream crying. I never had a dream like that before. I've never felt so sad from a dream." He looked up at Robyn, looking just as relieved to see her as she was with him.

And that's when Robyn realized that it had been a dream. She had been there, in Kento's dream. She knew what Kento had been feeling.

And like a dream, those emotions she felt were slowly fading from her heart. They were turning from reality into a memory, but fading faster than a memory.

Part of her wished that they could remain, that they didn't have to go.


	3. Chapter 3: Dais's Dream

To Dream of a Tale and To Tail a Dream

By Emilou

 **Dais's Dream**

The atmosphere between Kento and Robyn suddenly disappeared as a voice as sharp as a knife cut in.

"I didn't know you were so sensitive, little man," Dais said with a grin.

Kento's face darkened with anger. He looked as if he was going to yell a retort, but bit that down and turned his attention back to shuffling his cards.

With the spell between Robyn and Kento broken, Robyn let herself be pulled back into reality. The atmosphere, the sight of her friends in modern clothing and the smell of hot chocolate made her feel safe and secure. She was sitting in the same seat as before, as if she hadn't walked through a door and fallen into a strange land.

Or was it a dream? Did anyone notice that Robyn was gone? Nobody else was acting as if they had seen Cye kill Kento.

Kento had said it was a dream. Could that have been it? Then why was she the only one experiencing it?

"Did. . .something weird just happen?" she asked Kento, whispering.

Kento looked at her curiously. "Like what?"

"You told me to look in that door. . .and. . ." Robyn said, pointing to the door she had fallen into, but stopped mid-sentence. The door was gone. "Where did it go?"

"Where did what go?" Cye asked, looking where she was pointing. His voice was kind and gentle, not a hint of the devious person from earlier.

"I. . .I thought there was. . .never mind," she mumbled, quickly taking a drink of her hot chocolate to settle herself.

"What did you think?" Kento asked, pausing in his shuffling. "My dream that is. Weird, huh?"

"I. . .uh. . .it was. . ."

"Not as good as mine," Dais said. "I'm next." He grinned so widely that Robyn was sure his mouth would split his face in two.

Some of the others protested, saying they wanted to go next. Robyn remembered that she also had a dream she wanted to relate. How did it go again? She was by some flowers. . .no, that wasn't it.

"I'm going next," Dais insisted, a single-eyed glare quieting all opposition. "My dream started with you, Robyn. There you were, knocking at my door, in a blue robe and a hat."

Robyn leaned against her chair's back, sipping her hot chocolate as she listened.

"A blue hat, just like the one you're wearing now," Dais said, looking above Robyn's head with an excited smile.

Robyn's eyebrows turned down. She wasn't wearing a hat. Her hands went up to check, thinking that this was a joke. Her hands felt stiff fabric which immediately fell over her eyes. Fumbling for a handful of the fabric, she quickly pulled the fabric off her head. To her surprise, it was a wide-brimmed blue, conical hat, like a wizard's.

She laughed, expecting everyone at the table to be laughing at her as well, that this was a silly prank. She gasped in mid-laugh. Her eyes widened as she saw the view.

She was still sitting on her chair, but was no longer in the café. Instead she was on a grassy hill looking over a meadow. A soft wind was blowing the long grass like waves on the sea.

"What just happened?" she asked herself, standing up and tripping on something. That's when she realized that she was wearing blue robes, long enough to cover her from head to toe. Looking behind her, she saw that the item she tripped over was a large staff. She bent down to pick it up, feeling uneasy about this strange situation.

It was similar to Kento's dream.

Did that mean she was now in Dais's dream?  
"If you're selling anything, I don't want any."

Hearing a voice behind her, Robyn turned around and saw that there was a green, round door built right into the hillside. She hadn't noticed before because it was small, about as high as her chest. However, she did notice that her chair was gone.

The door was opened a crack and a single eye peered out.

"Excuse me?" she asked politely.

"I said, 'If you're selling anything, I don't want any.' Now, good morning," the voice beyond the door snapped, slamming the door sharply.

Robyn stepped away from the door and almost ran into a child-size body.

"Oh, excuse me," she said again, changing her voice as if she were talking to a young child.

The small person wasn't a child, but a tiny, chubby man with light blue hair and a matching, thick beard. He was dressed in chain mail, a cloak and a baggy hat.

"Did you find him?" the small person asked.

Robyn knew that voice. She bent down for a closer look. "Rowen?" she asked, lifting the baggy hat off his head. A big smile spread across her face. "Oh my gosh, you're so cute!" she exclaimed, hugging him.

"Hey, leggo. This isn't dignified for a dwarf," Rowen said huffily, prying himself away from her grip. "I'm a rough, gruff, manly dwarf. I don't do hugs."

Seeing Rowen's tough face made Robyn want to hug him even more. Instead, she tried to put on a serious face. "Oh, is that right?" she asked, trying hard to hide a smile.

"Hey, it's Robyn," another voice called out.

Robyn looked beyond Rowen and saw a swarm of small bodies climbing up the hill toward them. She soon recognized the other Ronins, Sekhmet, Cale and Kayura, all of them wearing clothing similar to Rowen's and large beards, including Kayura. Robyn had to do a double-take seeing the young girl with a full waste-length of dark blue facial hair.

They were all so cute, Robyn had a hard time not picking up each one of her boys and giving them hugs. But as she was looking at them, she realized something about their dwarf appearances.

"Hey, your beards are all fake," she accused, pulling on Cye's auburn beard. The strings attached it to his ears stretched, revealing a look of astonishment on her friend's chubby face.

"Hey, stop that," Cye yelled, taking back his fake beard and adjusting it. "We're dwarfs. We have to look the part."

"Yeah. And it's a good thing that you're such a darn, good wizard that we let you get away with that," Sekhmet told her in a business-like tone. "Toying with a dwarf's beard is a serious offense."

"Wizard?" Robyn repeated, looking at the staff she had tripped over. Was this another weird dream she was in? If so, could she really be a wizard? "I'm a wizard? Really? Wow, so I can do magic and stuff?" she asked her friends happily.

Several pairs of eyes rolled.

"Of course you can do magic," Sage told her. "But not in that condition. Where's your beard?"

"I don't have a beard," Robyn insisted. She looked at her staff carefully. "So what do I do? Do I have to say magic words or can I just wave this thing around?" She shook the staff, trying to get it to do something.

"All wizards have beards," Kayura told Robyn. "You can't do anything without one."

"I think I found it on the road," Cale said, holding up a fake beard with her same hair color that was at least three feet long.

Robyn frowned. "That's ridiculous. A fake beard wouldn't make me good at magic."

"Just put it on. There's no way anyone will take you serious if you don't," Ryo told her, taking it from Cale and passing it to her.

Robyn reluctantly put the red beard on, putting the strings around her ears. The fake hair tickled her nose and mouth, and was scratchy against her cheeks. "There I put it on. Now I'll be the best magician in the world," she said sarcastically, waving her staff. Immediately the wooden accessory released a burst of sparks. Robyn's eyes widened, impressed.

The dwarfs oohed and aahed, then clapped appreciatively.

"I told you Robyn the Blue was the most powerful wizard ever," Kento said, nudging Cye. "And you wanted to hire Anubis the Red."

"Good thing, too. I heard he died," Cye agreed.

Robyn played with her staff for a while before asking the group. "Okay, so we all have our beards. Now what do we do."

Sekhmet was the one who answered. "We hired you to find us a tenth member to be our burglar for the quest. So, where is he?"

Robyn remembered the green door in the hill and went to it. "Oh, I guess he lives here," she said, gesturing at the door.

All the dwarfs gathered around the door and knocked on it all at once.

Once more, the door creaked open, and a single eye peered out.

"What do you want?" the voice asked angrily.

The dwarfs were all silent as the intimidating glare observed them.

"She has something to say," Kento said, pointing to Robyn.

"Yes, something to say," the other dwarfs agreed, pushing Robyn to the front.

Robyn nearly fell over from the man-handling before she was standing before the single eye beyond the door. She wondered if the man on the other side would recognize her and slam the door before she could explain.

Instead, the door opened wider, revealing Dais, just as small as the others minus the beard. He wore simple clothes that looked like it came from a Shakespeare play. "Oh, a wizard," he said with interest. "I'm suddenly interested in what you have to say."

Robyn stroked her fake beard, feeling important. "Apparently these dwarfs are on a quest and need you to accompany them. And you are the best person for the job," she said, trying to sound official. Somehow, she felt bolder as a wizard, wiser.

"Adventure? Ew! No way. Adventures aren't wanted around here," Dais said gruffly, starting to close his door.

"Hey, she's Robyn the Blue, so you better be nice to her," Rowen said to Dais.

"Yeah, or she'll turn you into a grasshopper or something," Ryo added.

Dais let his door swing all the way open. "Not Robyn, the wizard who defeated the giant, pink bunny of Norland. The same wizard who baked the irresistible cookies of Sharloff that made a thousand souls weep with joy."

Robyn lifted an eyebrow. "Heck, yes. That was me," she said, going along with it.

"It's an honor that Robyn the Blue has come to my door. I'd like to invite you all in for tea, but I'm too busy. And I'm definitely too busy for adventures. Thanks for stopping by," Dais said, grinning before closing the door.

By now, Robyn was sure she was in another dream. The situation was far too silly not to be a dream. But as silly as it was, she didn't want to stay there. And something told her that if she wanted to get out of this dream, she had to get Dais to go on whatever quest the dwarfs were going on.

She knocked again.

"What is it? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"I'll bake you some cookies if you come," she told Dais.

Dais's expression didn't change. "I'll get my coat," he said, disappearing back into his house.

"Hurray!" the dwarfs shouted, dancing around Robyn's feet.

Robyn smirked. "That didn't take much persuasion. I really must be a wizard." She stroked her beard again.

Dais quickly returned, now with a coat on as well as a bag on his back.

"We don't have much time, Let's go," Kayura said, leading them down the path.

As they walked, Robyn felt this was the best time to get some answers. "So, what's this quest about? Where are we going?"

"To get our treasure, of course," Sage answered. "Long ago, the treasure of the dwarfs was taken."

"By a Great Beast," Cye continued when Sage took a breath. "It has fought off armies of dwarfs in the past, but we will be the ones to prevail with the help of a wizard."

"But we couldn't go with just eight dwarfs and a wizard," Sekhmet jumped in. "Nine is a very unlucky number."

"That's why we asked you to find us a burglar," Ryo spoke up. "With ten, we will be unbeatable."

Robyn couldn't help but purse her lips at that. _Ten against a beast that could defeat armies?_ she wondered nervously. However, with the knowledge that this was a dream, she was hopeful that everything would be okay. But the memory of what happened in Kento's dream made her wary.

"I'm not sure you found us the right burglar," Cale mutter, poking Dais experimentally. "He's definitely not a dwarf. I don't trust anyone without a beard. What is he?"

"I'm a hobbit," Dais said indignantly. "What's it to you, scruffy?"

Cale huffed at the name, but Ryo stepped in to stop them from fighting. "We don't have time for this. We have a long journey ahead of us, and there is much danger between here and there," he said gallantly, pointing in one direction.

"I thought it was over there?" Rowen contradicted, waving in the opposite direction.

"I distinctly remember it was over there," Sekhmet broke in, pointing in yet another direction.

Soon, all of the dwarfs were arguing. Dais stood back with a disgruntled look, and Robyn stayed out of it with an amused look. Even bickering, they were adorable. Once it became apparent that the dwarfs couldn't agree on where they were going, Robyn stepped in.

"Don't any of you have a map?" she shouted, causing everyone to go silent.

They all mumbled and checked their pockets, pulling out change, lint, buttons, handkerchiefs and other random items.

Finally, Kayura exclaimed happily. "The map!" She waved the piece of paper in the air.

A sigh of relief went over the group like a wave. One by one, the dwarfs took turns grabbing the map, poking and stabbing at it with fingers while talking wildly.

"Let me see that," Robyn said, feeling that if she didn't take charge, they would be there all day.

The paper looked crumpled and worn as if it had been crumpled over and over in several pockets. Upon the white of the paper, a simple map was drawn out in crayon. At the bottom was a bright blue circle with the words "Meet wizard and burglar" within it. To the side was a stick figure drawing of her in her blue robes, beard and staff. A black line curved all over the paper before coming to rest at the top to a yellow circle with a green dollar sign inside it. Above the circle, it said, "Treasure!"

Robyn turned it to the other side to see if there were more instructions, but it was blank.

"So, we have to go there?" Robyn asked, pointing to the yellow circle.

"Yes. Yes. Treasure! Treasure!" the dwarfs shouted, bouncing in place. "Let's go. Let's go."

Robyn slumped in place, glaring at the map. How was she suppose to get through this dream with such a map?

"Oh, I love maps."

A hand snatched the paper from Robyn's hands too quickly for her to react. It was Dais, and he scrutinized the map as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. He followed the black line with a finger, nodding and scratching his chin as if it explained the meaning of life.

"So, we follow along this road, turn North after the mountains and take this trail through the forest, we'll be there in no time," Dais said, looking satisfied with his skills.

Robyn shrugged. _Of course. It's his dream. He can read it._

"Okay, so which way do we go?" she asked Dais.

He consulted the map again before pointing dramatically. "This way."

"Yay!" the dwarfs shouted, all running in that direction as if it was a race.

Not having the same excitement as the others, Robyn and Dais followed behind at a more moderate pace. Considering the landscape, Robyn wondered how long it would take them to get to the "Treasure." She assumed it was in a mountain and that the great beast they talked about was a dragon. But she could see no mountains nearby. Would it take days? Would she be in this dream for days?

She didn't think she could take being there for that long.

"Ahhhhh! Trolls!" Robyn heard someone shouted. She turned her head to see Sekhmet and Rowen screaming as they ran out of a cave. They were followed by three rock-like creatures that cursed them, threw rocks and shook their fists.

The two dwarfs immediately ran to her, burying their faces in her robes.

"I have a first-aid kit," Dais announced, pulling out a modern-day plastic box.

The treasure hunting expedition was paused for a moment as Robyn dried tears, put band-aides on wounds and made sure the two dwarfs were okay. After a few minutes, Sekhmet and Rowen's faces grew smiles, and they ran off to join the other dwarfs.

Back on the road, it wasn't long before it was interrupted by more shouts.

"Ahhhh! Spiders!" Cye shouted, followed by a screaming Kayura and Ryo. Close behind them was a half dozen spiders the size of pit bulls.

At the sight of the large arachnids, Robyn shook her head. "Nope. I didn't sign on for this," she said, ready to leave the dream dwarfs to their fate.

But luckily, she didn't have to do anything.

"I brought bug spray!" Dais exclaimed, pulling out a large can from his bag. He charged ahead, finger on the nozzle of the aerosol poison dispenser.

The spiders didn't wait around to be sprayed; they turned around and fled, stopping once in a while to shake a limb irately at the dwarfs.

Robyn dried more tears and spoke reassurances that the spiders wouldn't come back to Cye, Ryo and Kayura. Once sobs abated, the adventure was ready to continue.

But it was not to be when the shouts of "Help! Help!" carried on the wind.

Once again, Robyn and Dais sought out the dwarfs that were in trouble. This time, it was Sage, Kento and Cale up in a tree, a pack of dogs circling them. The dogs were big, but all of them had their tails wagging and acting playful, not aggressive.

"Go away!" Cale yelled.

"Wizard Robyn, get them," Sage said, pointing at the dogs.

Robyn sighed. She was starting to feel like she was taking care of a group of children, not grown-up dwarfs. She turned to Dais. "Do you have anything in the bag for this?" she asked tiredly.

"Yes, I do," Dais answered readily. He rooted around in his bag before he pulled out a smattering of chew toys.

"Really? You packed those?" Robyn asked skeptically.

Dais shrugged. "You never know what you'll need for an adventure."

Together, Robyn and Dais caught the dogs' attention and threw the dog toys. The canines chased after the toys and didn't come back.

"Okay, guys. They're gone," Robyn told the three dwarfs up the tree.

"You promise?" Kento asked warily.

"Yes, I promise."

Once the small versions of the Ronins and Warlord were out of the tree, Robyn decided to gather all the dwarfs up before something else went wrong, like a giant bear attacking or one of them being carried off by an eagle.

Using her staff, she herded the dwarfs together in one group like a shepherd would sheep. Feeling exhausted, she sat down on a rock, putting her hands in her hands. Nearby, she could hear Rowen counting.

"Uh. . .someone is missing," Rowen said, seeing that their group only numbered nine.

Robyn growled, "Who is it?"

"It's the burglar," Cale announced. "The burglar isn't here."

That caught Robyn's attention. The short Warlord had been by her side this whole time.

"Here's his bag," Cye said, holding up said article.

Robyn felt fearful. Did something happen to him? Standing up, she announced, "I'm going to look for him. All of you, _stay here!_ " Her tone spoke of threats to those who disobeyed her.

The dwarfs all sat down in the grass, their hands innocently in their laps.

A few feet away from the others, Robyn heard a voice echoing from somewhere. She followed the echo, which lead her to a dark hole in the ground. The voice was coming from it.

"Dais, are you down there?" she called, kneeling down. Her beard got in the way of this, and she had to navigate around it.

"Mine. It's mine. Gimme," the voice shouted.

Picking up her staff, she said hopefully, "Could you give me a light?"

Immediately, her staff lit up. She poked it down the hole and was able to see Dais wrestling with someone about his size. At the appearance of the light, the other person hissed and shied away. Robyn was able to get a quick look at him. He was black all over except for a red samurai mask and white hair.

With his opponent no longer fighting him, Dais quickly climbed out of the hole.

"Thanks, wizard," he said, brushing off the dirt from his pants. He then clutched his hands together as if trying to hide something within them.

"How did you get in there?" Robyn asked, looking down the hole again. She could barely see the other person.

"Ah, I saw something shiny," Dais quickly explained. He opened his hands a little to take a peak, as if he were afraid it would escape.

"What is it?" Robyn asked, curious about what would make someone want to go down in that hole. She suddenly had a bad feeling about what it was.

"No, it's mine," Dais snapped, his face appearing darker even though the sun was shining.

A deep voice issued from the hole. "My precious."

"Did you steal it?" Robyn asked, her hands on her hips.

After a while, Dais replied petulantly, "Maybe."

Robyn felt that Dais shouldn't have whatever was in his hands. She didn't want it near her either. "Put it back," she ordered.

"No."

"Put it back, now," she said, gripping her staff. "I'm a wizard. I can do wizardy stuff to you. See the beard!" Her threat was empty. Not only was she uncertain what she could do, but she didn't think she could follow through with any punishment.

Dais rolled his eyes, but finally extended his arm over the hole. Between two fingers was a simple, gold ring. As if it pained him, he forced himself to release it.

Within the dark hole, an echo of the ring falling on stone tinkled before the deep voice laughed.

Robyn directed Dais away from the hole because he looked as if he wanted to jump back in to get the ring back. However, within a few steps away from the hole, Dais brightened up, looking like his old self.

Robyn retraced her steps back to the dwarfs, but it wasn't long before she realized they had not listened to her. They were all gone save for Dais's bag.

"Where did they go?" Robyn shouted.

"Wizard Robyn. Wizard Robyn," a voice called from a distance. "We're over here, Wizard Robyn."

Following the voice, she found the whole group on top of a hill. The eight dwarfs were cheering, hugging each other and crying tears of joy.

"What's going on?" Robyn asked.

"We made it. We're here," Ryo shouted, pulling on her robe.

"Already?"

"There. That's it," Kayura squealed, pointing down the hill. In the valley stood a large stone castle as if it had fallen out of a fairy tale, with a moat, drawbridge and everything.

"That's where the treasure is," Cye yelled.

"Yay! Treasure!" they all shouted.

Robyn looked back the way they came. From the hill, she was able to see the dark hole Dais went down, the trees where they met the dogs, the forest where the spiders lived and the cave that held the trolls. And beyond that, was Dais's house, still within view. Holding up the crayon-drawn map, she could see the curving trail they took was exactly like the black line on the paper.

"Are you guys sure?" she asked the dwarfs. "Because we didn't even walk a mile."

"It was such a long and treacherous journey," Sekhmet said, shuddering.

"And we lost so many companions," Rowen added.

Everyone took off their hats to grieve.

Robyn shook her head. This was a dream. She couldn't expect everything to make sense. "Okay, guys. Let's go down there and get your treasure," she told them, grabbing Ryo's hand.

"Ahhhhh! No. No. Danger, Robyn. Danger," they shouted terrified.

"What's dangerous?" Dais asked, surveying the castle with his one eye.

"The Great Beast is in the castle."

"He's huge with three heads."

"And breathes fire."

"And has big sharp, nasty teeth."

"He'll eat us."

After all that had been happening in this dream, Robyn was skeptical of how big and scary this beast was. "Let's take a peek. Maybe the beast is gone."

The troop of dwarfs and Dais followed Robyn down the hill, keeping close behind her and crowding her in case the beast appeared. The castle seemed peaceful with no hint of a ferocious beast.

They were at the edge of the moat when a loud roar resounded through the valley. All the dwarfs screamed and hid behind Robyn.

"Let's send the burglar in," Kento suggested from behind Robyn, pushing Dais to the front.

"Yes, the burglar. Let the burglar go," the others chorused.

"Why should I go?" Dais argued.

"That's what you're being paid for," Sage said drolly.

"I'm being paid?" Dais asked incredulously. "Well, in that case, I'll go. Who'll come with me?"

The dwarfs suddenly had a million other things to look at besides Dais, and the weather became a popular topic of conversation.

"Fine, I'll go alone," Dais grumbled.

"I'll come with you," Robyn said. "You shouldn't have to go alone."

Dais said no words of gratitude as they made their way across the drawbridge.

"Do you have something in your bag to take care of a beast?" Robyn asked, feeling cold as they entered the castle. There was no source of heat or light except what came through small square windows.

Dais frowned. "Unless he can be defeated with this." He pulled out a dagger that was as big as a pocket knife. He glared at the tiny blade unsatisfactorily before saying, "Perhaps you should go first."

"Me?" Robyn exclaimed. "This is your job, buddy."

"You have the magic," Dais argued, pointing to her staff. "Can't you just zap the creature?"

Robyn wondered if she could. After all, in a dream you can do anything. But then she remembered some dreams where things didn't go how she wanted them to.

Another roar vibrated through the stone castle.

"Eeek," Dais screamed, hiding behind her. "It's the Great Beast. Don't let it get me."

From the dark, eyes glowed, and a growl rumbled. A tail twitched out into the open.

Robyn smirked at what she saw. "Don't worry. I'll handle this," she said as heroically as she could. She rushed at the darkness, discarding her staff right as her fingers buried into thick white and black fur.

White Blaze's growl turned to a rumble-purr as he laid down so Robyn could scratch his tummy.

"Wow! You slayed the Great Beast!" Dais cried out in surprise. He ran back to the castle entrance and shouted. "Hey, guys. The Wizard Robyn just slayed the Great Beast. It's safe."

There was a loud shout of "Hurray!" from outside, and within minutes, the dwarfs were in the castle, bustling about and looking around. They didn't take any mind of White Blaze, avoiding him as if he wasn't even there.

"So, where is this treasure of yours?" Robyn asked, looking around.

Ryo lifted his hands, presenting the castle. "This is it."

"The castle is your treasure?" Robyn asked, frowning. It was bare of furniture and decorations. It was impressive as a building, but there was nothing inside it.

"It's our home," Kayura said. "Of course, it's our treasure."

"It's been years since we've been home," Cye said, rubbing his hand down the stone wall. "There's nothing better than coming home after an adventure."

A smile crept on Robyn's face. Inside of her, she felt a sudden desire to go home, too. She remembered the feeling of returning to Japan and Cye after so many years in the US. It felt as if she had also returned home after a long journey.

"What about me?" Dais said, looking angry. "You promised to pay me."

The eight dwarfs all turned out their pockets, producing nothing but lint.

"Sorry. We don't have any money," Kento said sheepishly.

"What? But I thought you were going to pay me," Dais shouted, his round face pinched.

Robyn felt a nudge against her hand. White Blaze was trying to push her staff back into her hands. "Oh, my magic. Dais, I think I did promise you some cookies, didn't I?" She hoped that the staff could provide the baked goods.

Anger abated, Dais fingered his lips in deep thought. His eye strayed to the dwarfs who were reveling in their newly won home.

"Honestly, all I want is to go home," Dais said, a sad smile on his face. "But its so far away."

 _Not that far,_ Robyn thought. But it would be far shorter if they could ride on something. "How about it, White Blaze? Can you give us a ride?"

The large tiger looked up into Robyn's face, opened his mouth and shouted, "Robyn!"

Jarred by the surreal scene, Robyn threw herself backward. Her back hit something that rocked and teetered erratically. She steadied herself, finding that she was sitting on a wooden stool. Laughter erupted around her. Looking up, Robyn gasped as she saw the Ronins, Warlords and Kayura back to their regular size, sitting around the café table. The Warlords were laughing uproariously while the others varied from chuckles to polite laughter.

She quickly checked her chin. The long, red beard was gone as well as her robes. Relieved to be back, Robyn grabbed her hot chocolate, surprised that it was still hot. She had been gone for hours. Or at least, it felt like it had.

"It was the weirdest thing to see that stupid tiger of Wildfire's speak my name," Dais said, still guffawing. "That was when I woke up."

Robyn frowned. _That's not right,_ she thought. _White Blaze said my name. Didn't he?_

Just like with Kento's dream, the feelings she had in Dais's dream was fading. That longing to be home, to be around things that were familiar to her and be safe, it was disappearing. She tried to cling to the nostalgia.

"Who get's to go next?" Dais asked, jarring her from her reverie, the feelings of returning home falling away like water in a sieve.


	4. Chapter 4: Kayura's Dream

To Dream of a Tale and To Tail a Dream

By Emilou

 **Kayura's Dream**

"Who get's to go next?"

The table went silent at Dais' question. Everyone looked around as if hesitant to speak up, even though they fought for the chance to go after Kento's story.

Robyn wanted to tell everyone her dream, but she still couldn't remember all of it. What happened in her dream? How did it begin? Cye was there at the start, she thought.

"May I go next?"

It was Kayura who made the request so politely. Gallantly, the boys let her go, someone even saying, "Ladies first."

Kayura sneezed into her handkerchief, daintily blowing her nose. She smiled in embarrassment as if her allergies were something to be ashamed of. "Let me take some medicine first," she said, her voice muffled from a stuffed-up nose.

From a purse, she pulled out a box of individually wrapped pills, took two out and drank them down with her orange juice.

"These things always make me sleepy," Kayura said, her eyes half-closed as if falling sleep already. "The beginning of my dream was a bit chaotic, flashes of scenes here and there. I had the idea that I was flying somewhere."

Kayura paused to yawn widely.

Waiting to be sucked into the dream, Robyn kept her eyes moving around for whatever would take her away. But nothing happened as Kayura spoke. Maybe being in the past two dreams was just her imagination. Even now, the sense of being in the dreams was quickly fading.

"I also remember being in a forest. The Ronins were there from the beginning, but the Warlords weren't. Neither was Robyn," Kayura continued on, her voice going up and down in a hypnotizing rhythm. "I had to go get her from across the water and bring her to the forest. I taught her how to fly."

Robyn yawned feeling tired as well. The hot chocolate she drank sat warm in her stomach, calming her. She leaned against the table, setting her head on crossed arms. As she listened, she allowed her eyes to slowly blink.

And they wouldn't open again. But she didn't care. It felt as if she were in a deep sleep, cozy and warm.

Abruptly she woke up, the wonderful sleep she was lulled into gone, as well was the cafè and everyone inside it. She was surprised, yet a sarcastic part of her wondered why since this was the third time the dreams swept her up.

Assessing her surroundings, Robyn saw that she was in some sort of hut made with sticks and dried grass. The ground underneath her was covered in soft leaves. In front of her was the hut's door with a stick poking through to make a crude handle.

On the other side of the door was the dream, ready to seize a hold of her and carrying her off into who knew what. She could already feel an invisible force pushing her into action.

"Give me a minute," she said to nothing at all, just wanting a moment to prepare for the unknown. However, she didn't get that moment when she realized her voice sounded strange. "What's wrong with my voice?"

Remembering how her appearance had changed in Kento's dream, she looked down at her body to see if that was the case now. Relieved, she clenched human hands and wriggled human toes. Besides being dressed in an old-fashioned nightgown, she seemed completely normal. Ready for what lay ahead, she stood up and opened the door.

The hut was built in the middle of a clearing with large trees surrounding it. A few yards away from Robyn, five young boys stood in a line, smiling broadly. They looked to be varied ages between six and ten, wearing clothing made from animal skins and layers of dirt on their faces.

Robyn recognized them right away even if they looked different from their teenage selves.

"Lost Boys, say hello to your new mother," a female voice said from above. Kayura stood fifteen feet in the air and clothing made entirely of leaves like some woodland elf with her hands on her hips. Like the Ronins, she also was younger than her usual self, but the eldest of the group, probably around twelve.

"Mother!" the boys shouted and rushed Robyn, throwing their arms around her in a needy way.

Feeling claustrophobic about so much physical contact, especially since more than one of the boys had a snotty nose, Robyn took a step back, pushing the boys away gently with small pats on their heads. She tried to give them reassuring smiles, but inside she was screaming.

 _A mother!_

She wasn't anyone's mother. What kind of dream was this that she was in charge of children? She had never imagined ever being the kind of woman who would become a mother. She didn't exactly have any good role-models in that aspect between her mother and the foster mothers she had stayed with while in the States. In fact, if she had to name a positive maternal influence, it would be Cye's mother.

Still panicking, Robyn realized just how tall the boys were compared to herself. Calming down, she looked back down at her hands, seeing that they were smaller than she was used to. She was a child herself.

Relieved, Robyn recalled Kayura's words. _Say hello to your new mother_. She wasn't their real mother. Or even the age of one. Maybe this was like a game; they were playing house.

"Hello, boys," Robyn said, stepping away from them.

"Did you like the house we built you?" Ryo asked, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

Robyn was only able to disguise her disgust by turning her head back to the hut.

It was small, like a child's playhouse. The outside looked similar to the inside; a jumble of sticks, bundles of grass and vines keeping it together. However, it didn't looked sturdy and could topple over in a strong breeze.

"It's lovely," Robyn said graciously with a smile, moving away from the unsound structure. "But I don't think I'm qualified to be a mother. I really don't have any experience."

 _Or desire,_ Robyn added to herself.

"That's alright," Kento pipped up. "We don't really have any expectations, so you won't disappoint us."

Somehow, that made Robyn feel better. After all, they should know she wasn't a real mother. All she had to do was think of this as a game. Eventually, the dream would be over.

"Alright, so as your mother, what am I suppose to do?" Robyn asked, as if asking an employer.

The boys looked confused. Apparently they didn't know what a mother was suppose to do either.

Kayura stepped in, looking confident. "There will be plenty of on-the-job training. For now, do the best you can, but you're under evaluation." Kayura's words and manner did not seem like a child, but of one mimicking an adult.

Remembering the few times she had babysat, Robyn turned to that role for inspiration. "In that case, what do you boys want to do?" A cacophony of ideas were shouted in her face.

"Let's go hunting."

"I want to play hide-n-seek."

"I'm hungry. Let's look for berries."

"To the beach. To the beach."

"How about a ball game?"

"Easy, guys," Robyn settled the group with gestures. "All those things sound fun, but we need to pick only one. How about I think of a number between one and twenty, and you. . ." Before Robyn could finish her sentence, Kayura swooped down and interrupted.

"Hey, I'm the Pan. I get to choose what we do," she demanded, her face scrunched up with seriousness. "And I choose. . ." She let her sentence hang in the air dramatically.

The Ronin boys waited eagerly.

". . .To the beach!" Kayura announced, pointing out the direction. She zipped away, rising above the trees.

There was no whining or complaining about the decision. All whooped with glee and headed into the jungle.

Robyn hesitated to follow when she felt an inkling of déjà vu. How she woke up in the hut, meeting the boys and the jungle, it all seemed familiar. It was as if Robyn had seen this scene before, but where? Kayura called the Ronins "Lost Boys," and she was "the Pan." Where had she heard those names before?

Robyn quickly pushed these thoughts away. How could Kayura's dream feel familiar to her? It wasn't possible. It wasn't as if Dais' and Kento's dreams evoked the same emotion.

Yet as she recalled the two previous adventures, she wondered if she had. . .

"Come on, Robyn," Cye said, taking her hand. "It's this way."

Cye's words interrupted Robyn's thoughts right when an idea came to her. But the child's words were enough to scare them away.

Inside the jungle, Robyn worried that keeping track of the five boys would be similar to Dais' dream where she was continuously rescuing dwarfs from this danger or that peril. Surprisingly, the kids traversed the jungle deftly, keeping to the trail and avoiding dangerous flora and fauna alike. There was even one instance where young Sage prevented her from stepping on a sleeping, venomous snake.

When the jungle ended, they popped out onto a beautiful, white beach surrounded by the clearest, bluest water Robyn had ever seen. Although she disliked swimming and was a little afraid of the ocean, she did appreciate the amazing scene before her.

After taking in the sight, Robyn realized the boys weren't on the beach. They had already discarded their furs to dive into the waves in only leather loin cloths. They began their games and rough-housing without giving Robyn even a backward glance. Kayura join in, flying in and out of the water, playing as roughly as any of the boys.

Glad she wasn't invited to join them in the water, Robyn happily stayed on the shore, letting the tide play with her toes. It appeared as if her new role as their "mother" wasn't needed. Even when one of the boys were hurt, they only cried for a while before jumping back in the fray.

Whether she was bored or wanted to do something else, Kayura suddenly stopped playing with the Lost Boys and flew back into the jungle. As if that was a sign, the boys left the water, separating to their own devices. Cye continued to splash in the waves while the others either played in the sand or explored the shore. Kayura returned after a few minutes, carrying fruit, which she dropped in the sand. Taking her cue, the boys quickly dressed and gathered together to eat her offering.

As they ate, Robyn watched the children, seeing how the boys interacted with Kayura. It was obvious that the girl was the leader the way she bossed the others around. The Lost Boys looked to her for approval if they made a joke or suggested something.

"I'm full," Kayura announced, throwing the rest of her fruit into the ocean.

The boys copied her, whether they were done or not.

Half-way through a banana, Robyn stopped mid-bite when the others stared at her. Seeing that they expected her to fall in line, she obligingly threw the rest of the fruit into the waves.

"What are we going to do now, Kayura Pan?" Kento asked eagerly.

Putting a hand on her chin, Kayura looked deep in thought. The gesture was so exaggerated, that most likely it was pretense. After the dramatic pause, she declared, "We're going on a treasure hunt."

"Treasure hunt!" the boys screamed as if this was the best idea ever.

"Who's going to be the judge?" Rowen asked. "Not it!"

All the boys and Kayura in turn shouted, "Not it!" almost simultaneously. Their grinning faces turned to Robyn.

"Mother's it!" a few shouted, jumping to their feet and running away.

Confused, Robyn wasn't sure what was going on. What was this game? Was it like tag, and that's why they were running away?

"Here's my treasure, Mother," Ryo announced, pressing a shell into her hands. "Isn't it pretty?"

"Er. . .yes it is," Robyn agreed, looking at the glimmering of mother-of-pearl. "What do I do with it?"

"You hold the treasures, and at the end of the game, you decide who found the best treasure," Ryo explained before running back across the sand.

So the game went, the Lost Boys and Kayura bringing Robyn a smattering of shells, rocks, flowers and other things from nature that children would consider treasures. The beach sported several large rock formations and coral reefs that had many nooks and crannies for exploring. There were even a few caves.

Robyn held onto everything, hiking up her nightgown partway to cradle the items, all except a crab that Kento offered. It was a little boring, but Robyn didn't mind following after the kids. She liked watching them run around, not having a care in the world.

"I found it! I found the best treasure ever," one of the boys shouted from out of sight.

Kayura crowed like a rooster and swooped away to find the one who called. The other Lost Boys followed, waving to Robyn to hurry up.

Still keeping all the "treasures" safe, Robyn followed as best she could over rocks and into a shallow cave. There, Kayura and the Lost Boys gathered around a knee-high rock that held an iced cake on a china plate.

"I found it!" Rowen declared with puff chest. "I bet I'll win. Nobody can find a better treasure than this."

The other Lost Boys all nodded in agreement. Nothing could possibly beat a cake.

Robyn frowned at the cake, suspiciously. How did the cake get inside the cave? Who put it there?

"All in favor of voting Rowen as the Master Treasure Hunter say 'Aye'," Kayura called out in an official tone, neglecting the fact that Robyn had been designated the judge.

"Aye," the Lost Boys chorused.

"The ayes have it," Kayura declared, hands on her hips. "Now, let's divide the booty and celebrate."

Without utensils, the children readied to tear the cake apart with sandy fingers. But Robyn stop them.

"Wait!" she shouted, pulling two boys away. In the process, she dropped the gathered treasures. "I don't think its a good idea to eat the cake."

The Lost Boys immediately began to complain; Ryo close to tears. But all this stopped when Kayura raised her hands.

"Lost Boys, you wanted a mother. I brought you a mother," she told them sternly. "Now you must obey your mother."

Hanging their heads, the boys turned away from the cake to help them resist temptation, casting glances to Robyn as if to change her mind

Robyn felt bad. After all, this dream appeared to be harmless. Perhaps the cake was just a cake. Yet, it felt weird to find a cake just sitting there.

Kayura jumped as if she heard an unusual sound. Instantly she was in the air, alert. "Let's get out of here."

More noises echoed through the cave. Shadows moved across the walls. Someone else was there.

"Run," Kayura ordered, flying ahead of the others.

As Robyn ran alongside the Ronins, she saw a few men creeping out from behind rocks, leaping out at the Lost Boys.

"Pirates!" Sage shouted, urging them all to run faster.

"This way," Kayura ushered the group, showing them a path that wasn't hindered by pirates. She flew low and slow so that the boys could keep up.

Robyn's heart pounded faster at each sighting of a new shadow. They remained obscure to her, as if they were half-imagined monsters that lurked in the closet. But even at her quickest, she remained at the end of the pack, watching the Lost Boys scamper farther ahead by the second. It was hard to race across sand and rocks in bare feet, yet the boys did it as if they were made for the terrain.

Without warning, a heavy, thick-weaved net dropped over her head. Weights sewn to the bottom pulled her down, preventing escape. Robyn screamed as she crashed into the sand, each heavy breath scenting rotten fish and sea salt on the rope.

"Yar, I got one," a deep voice declared. It sounded familiar, but the accent was wrong.

Through the thick weave, Robyn could see three figures standing over her, but the net obscured the sight. However, she could guess who they were.

"Let's get this one to the ship," another familiar voice said, using the same pirate accent as the first.

"What about the others?" a third voice asked.

"They'll be long gone. The girl will have made sure of that," the second voice spat.

With no other preamble, the three men grabbed the net and dragged it, along with Robyn, across the beach. Carefully, they loaded the netted girl into a small dinghy and rowed away from the beach.

This whole time, Robyn didn't struggle. Not only was she sure she couldn't lift the heavy net, but she was actually curious as to why these pirates wanted to capture her. She listened quietly in case the men talked to each other, but they rowed in silence.

After some time, the boat bumped against a solid object, wood against wood. The three pirates carried Robyn up a ladder; through her obscured vision, she could see they were boarding a large, wooden ship. Once on board, they dumped her out of the net, their eyes scrutinizing her.

"A girl? The Pan's never brought one o' them before," Cale growled, glaring down at Robyn. He sported a scruffy beard on his chin as well as pirate clothing: a simple white, low collar shirt, thick sash and baggy pants.

The other two were dressed in similar fashion. Dais wore the cliché red-and-white striped shirt with torn breaches, his eye patch fitting right in with the fashion. As for Sekhmet, his clothing was more decorative, indicating that he was the captain right down to his buckled shoes and large hat with ostrich plume. In one hand, he gripped a sharp cutlass, his other arm ended in a silver hook.

In the background, several other men moved about the ship, pulling on ropes or climbing up the mast.

"She hasn't been reported as missin'. Maybe we should throw 'er back," Dais asked.

Robyn shivered, hoping that didn't mean they would toss her into the ocean.

"Did ya check the photos?" Cale asked his companion.

"All the photos are of boys. I don't need to check 'em," Dais replied, sounding irritated.

"Some of 'em boys look like girls. Better check to be sure," Cale reasoned.

Grumbling, Dais pulled out some old-fashion, sepia photos from his pocket. A few he held up to Robyn's face for comparison.

One particular photo captured Robyn's attention. It featured a mother with her young son, who was dressed in a childish sailor's outfit. "Cye," she said without thinking.

"Yar, you know this boy, girlie?" Sekhmet asked, moving his face and hook uncomfortably close to Robyn's.

Feeling as if she made a mistake, Robyn kept her mouth shut.

"Not talkin', ey. Throw 'er into the brig," Sekhmet commanded, gesturing with his hook wildly.

Cale and Dais each grabbed an arm and carried her below deck to an iron jail, locking her inside.

"I'd talk if I were you, girl," Sekhmet said, shaking his hook at Robyn. "It may be a long time before we sail away from the Neverlands, but if ya cooperate, we'll make sure ya get back to yer parents."

"My parents?" Robyn repeated, confused. "But you're pirates. Why would you return me to my parents?" As she asked this, a thought popped into her head. _This isn't how the story goes._

Where did that thought come from? What story am I thinking of?

"Because it's what we're paid to do. Not much other reason to capture a bunch o' brats," Cale added with a shrug.

"Not much sense reasoning with 'er," Dais joked. "The Neverlands has her so addled, she probably doesn't remember anythin' past yesterday much less 'er parents."

Robyn pouted, wishing she could put the Warlords in their place. She wasn't the young child they thought. And there was definitely nothing wrong with her memory. Whatever this "Neverlands" was, it didn't make her forget. She remembered that this was a dream. Before she was in a cafè with the Ronins, Warlords and Kayura, drinking hot cocoa. And before that she. . .

What was she doing before arriving at the cafè? She tried to remember, but it was as if there was a big, black spot on her memory.

Was it true? Did the Neverlands make her forget some things?

"Let's not waste any more time on this girl," Sekhmet decided, turning his back on Robyn. "We need to make plans for tomorrow. The sooner we capture those children, the sooner we can make port."

Robyn felt afraid that she would be left in the brig for that long. How long could the dream last? Could it last a night? Or days? When would it end?

"Wait," she called out to the Warlords. When they faced her, she asked, "Are you really going to return the Lost Boys to their parents?"

"There's not much money in it for us if we don't," Sekhmet said, smiling at his own joke.

"What about Kayura? You'll return her, too?" Robyn asked.

They laughed at that question.

"Yar, we'll capture the Kayura Pan if we can, but there're no parents lookin' for 'er," Dais laughed. "Although, a good bounty is on 'er 'ead."

"A bounty? What for?" Robyn demanded, fearful for Kayura.

"Because she's takin' children from their beds and lurin' 'em to the Neverlands, o' course," Cale explained. "Not polite takin' youngsters away from their parents, but it has made us a lot o' money."

As Dais and Cale laughed about making a profit, Sekhmet calmly observed Robyn.

"Yer an awfully chatty girl," he commented, rubbing his chin carefully with his hook. "Never has Kayura brought another girl to the island. I wonder why."

Robyn considered telling them the truth. After all, if the pirates were telling the truth, didn't that mean they were the good guys? But that would mean Kayura was the bad guy? In her own dream?

Before Robyn could decide, Sekhmet spoke first. "Perhaps, this girl has a use. Come along, lads. We should prepare for our next . . . expedition." Then they left.

Once again, Robyn feared she would be stuck in the dream for a night. Hopefully she could fall asleep so morning would come quicker. Could one sleep inside a dream? Robyn was prepared to try.

The cell contained a dirty cot. She laid down on it, tucking her legs and feet inside her nightgown, which didn't give her much warmth. The cell was moist and chilly, the mattress lumpy. Sleep didn't seem likely.

For the first time in the dream, Robyn didn't feel like a teenage girl. She felt like a lost child, wishing she was home, someplace safe and sound.

Not long after the Warlords left, more footsteps stomped down the stairs. Robyn sat up, hoping were coming back. Maybe she could glean more information from them. Three figures descended the stairs, but it wasn't the Warlords. The men were taller, dressed from head to toe in pirate garb, thick beards covering their faces and wobbled as if drunk.

"Mother, are you alright?" a childish voice came from one of the pirates.

Robyn blinked at the surreal image before her eyes, seeing that beyond the beard was a round, youthful faces. It was Ryo in disguise.

"Oh, the cleverness of me," Kayura exclaimed, floating off of Kento's shoulders, taking the pirate cloak with her. "It was my idea on how to rescue you."

"We couldn't let Mother be captured by pirates," Rowen said with determination. The other Ronins nodded in agreement as they cast aside their disguises.

"I have the key," Sage said, finding it hung on a nail. He immediately freed the red-head.

Relieved that she didn't have to stay in the brig all night, Robyn hugged the Ronins fiercely in gratitude.

"I'll take a peak above and call down when the coast is clear," Kayura said, swimming through the air gracefully.

"Don't worry, Mother. We'll get you back on the island, safe and sound," Cye comforted, trying to look brave. He looked so different than the photo Dais had. His hair was wild, his cheeks dirty and his clothing far from what society would find acceptable. But in the photo, he had been smiling widely, a genuine smile. Even the smiles back on the island didn't seem so happy as the one from the image.

"Cye, how long have you been in the Neverlands?" Robyn asked, using the name she heard from the pirates.

"Oh, forever," Cye replied casually.

"For a couple of days? A month?" Robyn inquired.

Cye frowned. "I've always been on the island."

Shaking her head, Robyn tried again. "You weren't born on the island. Kayura brought you here, didn't she?"

The Ronins all nodded.

"Yes, Kayura Pan brought us to the Neverlands," Kento acknowledged. "She's the one who made us Lost Boys."

"But before that, where did you come from?" Robyn asked.

Confused, the boys looked at each other for help.

"What about your parents? Where are your mothers and fathers?"

Ryo laughed. "You're right there, Mother." He beamed for finally knowing an answer to Robyn's questions.

Robyn sighed, but remembered what one of the Warlords said. _She probably doesn't remember anythin' past yesterday much less 'er parents._ It was true. The Neverlands made one forget. If she stayed in this dream, would she forget? How long until it would happen?

"The way is clear," Kayura hissed from above their heads.

Robyn jumped since she hadn't seen nor heard the flying girl come back.

"All the pirates are gone. We can steal a boat and row to shore," she told them with a wild grin.

The Lost Boys filed behind Kayura, ready to sneak across the deck. But Robyn hesitated.

If what the Warlords said were true, they were not the bad guys. They wanted to return the Lost Boys to their parents. Even if they were making money from it, that was a good thing, right? But did that mean Kayura was the villain?

Robyn didn't know what to do. She was concentrating so hard on this dilemma, it escaped her curiosity to wonder why the deck was completely empty when only moments ago, it was teeming with pirates.

The sun had set, but the moon was bright enough to light their way. Kayura pressed her finger to her lips for silence as they crossed the wooden deck.

Halfway to freedom, several lamps lit up, revealing that the pirates had been hiding behind crates, barrels and on the upper decks.

"It's a trap," Kayura screamed and bolted high into the air, disappearing among the sails.

Seeing that they were surrounded, the Lost Boys circled around Robyn, keeping their backs to her. From inside their animal skins, each pulled out a small knife and brandished it with snarls. Within seconds, all five engaged in a fight with a pirate.

Robyn watched the battle in fear, feeling sick at the thought of children fighting grown men. This wasn't right. The boys could get hurt. The pirates had to be stopped.

"Hook! You're mine," Kayura crowed from the top of the mast. Spotting Sekhmet on the upper deck, she dove down with her own knife out like a lance, aiming for the Warlord's heart.

Sekhmet met her with his cutlass, parrying her advances easily. "I told you, girl. My name is Sekhmet," he told her coolly. "It's your own doing to take me hand an' feed it to the crocotiger."

"And I'll take your other hand if I can," Kayura said with a smile.

Robyn stood aghast at Kayura's blood-thirsty words and violent nature. The young, sweet-looking girl fought to kill Sekhmet. Taking another look around, she observed the pirates instead of the Lost Boys. The grown men fought against the Ronins, but only in defense. Their actions were careful and hesitant, trying to disarm the boys instead of hurt them.

Finally making a decision, Robyn sprang at Dais, knowing which pocket to stick her hand in. Pulling out the photographs, she face the five children.

"Lost Boys, stop! Please," she shouted. "You aren't in any danger."

"But Kayura Pan says we must fight the pirates," Kento argued. "We follow the Pan."

The others growled threateningly.

"But she took you away from your parents. Look. Look at these and remember," she told them, holding out the photos.

At the sight, the Lost Boys' angry expressions melted away. Knives clattered onto the deck as they gathered closer to the photos.

"I remember her," Cye said, touching his mother's face. A tear leaked from his face.

"That's right. She's your mother. Your true mother," Robyn told him. "These are pictures of your families. Look, Kento. Those are your brothers and sisters. And Ryo, this is your grandmother. They all miss you and want you back."

Soon, the Ronins were bawling over their photos, begging to be returned to their loved ones. As for the pirates, they watched, glad to let Robyn pacify the Lost Boys.

"No!"

Kayura had disengaged in her fight with Sekhmet and hovered overhead. "Keep fighting! You're suppose to fight the pirates."

But the Lost Boys didn't listen or perhaps they didn't hear her over their own crying.

"They want to go home, Kayura. This isn't a game," Robyn shouted up to the flying girl.

"That's why I brought you to the Neverlands," Kayura yelled back. "They wanted a mother."

"But I'm not their mother. They want their real families."

"No," Kayura screeched. "They're suppose to stay here with me."

Without warning, a net fell from the crow's nest. Similar to the one Robyn was captured in, it dragged the flying girl to the deck floor.

Kayura screamed and kicked, trying to get out of the net. Dais and Cale rushed at her, to make sure she couldn't escape.

"Don't hurt her," Robyn pleaded.

"Don't worry, girlie," Cale said, his smile soft. "We're not that kind o' pirates."

"Even if she did take me hand, we wouldn't hurt 'er," Sekhmet added, joining them. "She's just a lonely girl lashin' out on the world."

"What are you going to do to her?" Robyn asked, feeling sorry for Kayura.

"Oh, we'll take 'er away from the Neverlands. She'll eventually forget how to fly," Sekhmet explained. "The people who ordered her bounty, they'll put 'er in an orphanage. She'll be well taken care of, taught how to behave, and eventually be adopted."

Robyn felt sad inside. There was something magical about the island and being able to fly. It didn't feel right taking Kayura away from the Neverlands.

Robyn's expression must have been obvious, because Sekhmet continued. "If we let 'er stay, she'll just steal away more children, makin' more parents sad. We cannot let 'er go."

"I guess it's for the best," Robyn relented.

By this time, Kayura had been freed from the net. Shackles of cast iron were clamped onto her ankles to prevent her from flying off again.

"Easiest bounty we'll collect," Cale said with a laugh. "Thanks to the red-head, we'll be gettin' a big pay off once we reach port."

Hearing Cale's words, Kayura's gaze locked onto Robyn. "You helped the pirates?" she shrieked. "You ruined everything." Despite the irons, Kayura rushed at Robyn, pushing her with a strength belying her size.

Robyn felt herself falling backward, her shoulders hitting the ship's railing before tumbling toward the water. It looked to be a thirty-foot drop, so Robyn had enough time to see the cold, dark water during her fall. But she never reached it.

From out of the depths, a large maw breached the ocean, opening wide to admit the girl down the gullet.

Robyn jumped, feeling tingly and groggy all over. It felt as if she had just awoken from a half-asleep dream about falling. She clamped onto the nearest thing, which was the cafè table. Her abrupt return from the dream had caused her hot cocoa mug to tip over, spilling a few droplets onto the table.

"Oh, I can't believe I told you that dream," Kayura said, trying to hide herself behind her hands and shrugging her shoulders. "I feel so embarrassed."

"Come on, Kayura. We know you don't act like that," Dais said, his grin widening. "You're the best behaved brat I've known."

Sekhmet's tone was less teasing. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. We can't control what happens in a dream or how we act. Our subconscious is an unpredictable thing."

"Oh, I just wished I hadn't pushed Robyn at the end," Kayura said, shaking her head. "Honestly, Robyn, I would never do that to you."

Robyn smiled weakly, her heart still pounding from the dream-fall feeling. "It was just a dream. Don't worry about."

 _Just a dream. Yeah right,_ Robyn thought to herself sarcastically. Just how realistic were these dreams going to get? So far, she had died in one, in another, she was pushed to her death. She hoped that the rest weren't so violent.

Robyn clenched her hands, knowing there were six more to go. And already Sage was opening his mouth to start telling his dream.


	5. Chapter 5: Sage's Dream Part 1

(Author's Notes: In this chapter, there will be references to the Ronins' and Warlords' virtues. I will be using the English translation's version of these virtues: Ryo-Virtue, Sage-Wisdom, Cye-Trust, Rowen-Life, Kento-Justice, Anubis/Kayura-Loyalty, Cale-Obedience, Dais-Piety and Sekhmet-Serenity. Also, this chapter was a lot longer than I anticipated and has been divided into two.)

To Dream of a Tale and To Tail a Dream

By Emilou

 **Sage's Dream Part 1  
**

As Sage parted his lips to tell his dream, Robyn stared in surprise when no words were spoken. His mouth moved, but instead of syllables, notes from a trumpet blared. As if he were speaking normally, Sage continued to talk with a bored expression as if nothing strange were happening.

Robyn stared at him as the notes blared from the blond's mouth, her expression twisted in disbelief at the ridiculous situation. Every second Sage spoke, the trumpet notes increased in volume until Robyn had to cover her ears. A strong wind puffed out along with the notes. She shouted, trying to get Sage to stop speaking, but the trumpet drowned her out.

Within a minute, Sage's speech grew to a deafening solo with wind knocking Robyn out of her chair. With one final word, the gale picked the red-head up, flinging her into the air. She expected to slam into the ceiling of the cafè, but it no longer was there. Instead, she tumbled head over heels through a dark void.

Robyn felt relief when the wind abated and the trumpet dissipated, although a ringing lingered in her ears. With no wind carrying her, she fell through the blackness.

No, that wasn't right. She felt herself floating down as if something kept her aloft.

Casting her eyes about, she hoped to see anything. Eventually a pinprick of light appeared below her, growing bigger as she sank through the darkness.

Minutes later, her bare feet touched down on cold tiles. Frowning, she looked down at herself and saw that she had gone through yet another clothes change without her knowledge. This time she wore only a simple white dress and nothing to cover her toes. But it was no ordinary dress; it seemed to forget about gravity, continuously flowing about her ankles as if it were a breezy day. But the air remained still.

Her surroundings interested her more than her new wardrobe as it was familiar to her. She stood in a long hallway lined with lockers on both sides, interrupted occasionally by doors. Banners, flyers and posters decorated the walls, broadcasting school events and club meetings. This was her High School, or might have been if not for one thing: the hallway spread in both directions as far as she could see. Despite the immense hallway, it was eerily empty, as if something kept the student population back.

Robyn's arms broke out in goosebumps as she sensed someone nearby. She wasn't alone. Turning slowly, her heart worked double-time as she heard footsteps.

A wave of serenity washed over her as she saw it was Sage walking toward her. She released a lungful of air she was unaware of holding.

"Robyn?" Sage asked, speaking first. "It's unusual that you appear in my dreams."

That sentence threw the red-head through a loop. "What? You know this is a dream, too?"

Leaning against the lockers, Sage slowly gazed across the hallway. "Yeah, most of the time I'm aware that I'm dreaming. It looks like another school sequence."

"I hate those ones," Robyn grumbled, recalling some of her own dreams.

"I don't think this is going to be a typical school-themed dream," Sage said as he pocketed his hands.

"How can you tell?"

"By how you look," he replied, his expression not wavering from stoic as he looked her up and down.

Robyn pulled at the floating dress. At the corner of her eye, she noticed herself reflected in the glass of a door. The dress wasn't the only change to her appearance. Sprouting from her back were a pair of pure white wings, so large that she was surprised she hadn't felt them earlier. To finish off the package, a halo of brilliant gold hovered a few inches above her head.

A closer inspection showed subtle changes to her physical features. Her hair looked fuller and softer, and her skin, despite its paleness, had a luminescence to it.

She could have been a character from a shojo anime.

"I look gorgeous," she admired, smiling with lips that seemed to have a kiss of gloss. Then she frowned, rounding on Sage. "Say, what kind of dream is this?"

The blond let the insinuation roll off his back with a shrug. "Your guess is as good as mine."

As if serendipity blessed them, the school bell rang. The classroom doors lining the hall all banged open in syncopated rhythm. A wave of students filled the hall.

Robyn expected to see teenagers from her school, perhaps recognizing a few faces, but gave a squeak of shock as every face was completely stripped of features: no mouth, eyes, nose or ears. The memory of Japanese ghost stories that she heard as a little girl ran through her mind, giving her the heebie-jeebies.

Sage, either not noticing or not caring, fell into step with the other students.

At first, Robyn tried to move through the crowd, trying not to touch anyone, but after a boy careened right through her, she realized she was incorporeal to them. Running to catch up to Sage, she tried not to think how many bodies she went through. When she caught up, she bumped into his shoulder.

"It looks like I can touch you, at least," she told Sage. The surreal situation was making her feel light-headed. "So, where are we going?"

Once again, Sage shrugged.

They walked in silence, the horizon of the hallway never getting any closer. After a few minutes of walking, Sage stopped and turned halfway around, looking over his shoulder.

"What is it?" Robyn asked, hoping for a break in the monotony.

"I sense something," Sage said calmly. "It reacted with my armor."

"Your armor? You can feel it in the dream?" Robyn asked, surprised.

For the first time, Sage's calm exterior broke. He looked worried. "Most of the time. I just have to be aware of myself and my virtue. If I get too lost in the dream, I can forget."

Before Robyn could ask more, like if he could summon his armor, she felt something, too. It felt like dread in her heart. Her eyes, as if magnetized, immediately sought out a person moving through the crowd toward them.

Unlike Robyn, who moved like a ghost, as he walked, the students moved out of his way. They didn't react to him, not even noticing how they stepped out of his way in a jerky, almost violent, motion. Similar to Robyn, he sported a pair of wings, but his were black. A halo drifted above his head, tarnished and cracked.

"Rowen?" Robyn inquired.

It looked like Rowen, but didn't look like him. His coloring was darker and foreboding, his eyes were cold and calculating and his smile held no warmth. On his upper lip sat a well-trimmed mustache that made him appear as a sophisticated villain. All he needed was a silk robe, a martini and a pretentious laugh.

"So, it's one of those dreams," Sage commented.

"You dream about Rowen as a demon a lot, huh?" Robyn asked, half-teasing.

"That's not what I meant," Sage snapped.

"Then what happens in this kind of dream?" Robyn inquired, hoping for anything to prepare her for whatever weirdness that was about to go down. She received no reply. "Sage, what happens in these kinds of dreams?"

Sage remained silent, staring down Rowen as the young man leaned casually against the lockers near them, folding his arms as if he had all the time in the world.

"Well, well, well. You look like a very wise young man," Rowen observed, although he and Sage were the same age. "Wisdom is indeed your calling in mortality."

A green light illuminated Sage's forehead; Robyn recognized the writing as the kanji for wisdom.

Rowen smiled at the virtue. "Yes, you are quite a find, gaining so much wisdom as such a young age. But sadly, you are still lacking."

"Lacking what?" Sage asked suspiciously.

"The knowledge of immortality," Rowen replied, slowly circling Sage, ignoring Robyn's presence. "After all, what good is wisdom if life is so short? Imagine how wise a man could be if he had eternity to gain the knowledge of earth, heaven and hell."

A chill ran through Robyn. "Sage, I don't have a good feeling about this," she whispered, grabbing his sleeve.

"And what is the payment for such knowledge?" Sage asked knowingly. "I think it might be a little steep for me."

"What if you could get it for nothing?" Rowen asked, moving his face closer. "It wouldn't be wise to turn down such an offer."

"Knowledge attained without effort isn't worth much," Sage stated wisely, his eye glowering.

"Then how about a wager?" Rowen suggested, a smug grin on his face. "Someone as wise as you would surely win."

A dark feeling burrowed deep into Robyn's stomach. She recalled a song she heard back in America.

 _The Devil went down to Georgia,_

 _He was looking for a soul to steal._

 _He was in a bind 'cause he was way behind_

 _He was willing to make a deal._

"What kind of wager?" Sage asked

"Sage, don't do it," Robyn urged. She tried to touch his shoulder, but her hand went right through him.

"I'm just curious," Sage said, his voice touched with irritation. "I'm not going to do anything stupid."

"Oh, it's simple. All you have to do is master the Seven Deadly Virtues. That's all. And then I'll give you the knowledge you desire."

Sage raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Mastering seven virtues? That's all."

"Yes. Simple enough for someone as wise as you," Rowen praised, but Robyn sensed his voice was slick with sarcasm.

"And if I fail?" Sage queried.

Rowen shrugged. "Well, of course there will be a consequence. I'll be honest, it will be dire. You already know the price."

Robyn's mouth hardened. "It's not worth it," she urged.

"If I fail one virtue, then I lose?" Sage asked as if he had not heard Robyn.

"Oh, that wouldn't be fair," Rowen chuckled. "Even half wouldn't be fair. You will have to fail all seven to lose. To win, you only have to master one Virtue. Easy enough?"

A smirk crossed Sage's mouth. "Seems too easy. What if I want to back out after failing six?"

"Then back out," Rowen shrugged carelessly. "You can leave the wager at any time."

Sage rubbed his chin. "Okay, I'll agree."

Robyn saw the light of the kanji on his forehead flicker a few times. She felt an icy arrow shoot through her heart.

"But I'll back out before I reach the seventh Virtue," Sage said confidently. "I'm not interested in your offer, but the challenge interests me."

Rowen smiled, spreading his arms as if welcoming an old friend. "If you insist. Let us begin." With a clap of his hands, Rowen disappeared in a spiral of feathers and darkness as if swallowed up by a black hole.

Alone once more, Robyn grasped Sage's arm, surprised that her hand met flesh. "Sage, don't do this. I don't have a good feeling."

"Relax, Robyn," Sage soothed. "Everything will be fine. I can play this game to find out what it is like and back out anytime. Aren't you curious?"

Robyn admitted that she was, but not enough to accept the challenge herself. "You mentioned that you knew something about this type of dream. What did you mean?"

"Dream? Oh, yes. This is a dream," Sage said with uncertainty. "If this is a dream, then there is no risk. I can't get hurt in a dream."

Robyn regretted reminding him of the dream; it seemed to give Sage confidence in his decision. "Please be careful," she pleaded, feeling it was useless to fight against Sage's stubbornness.

The school bell rang. The faceless students who were constantly moving around them started drifting to the doors between the rows of lockers.

Lifting his arm, Sage glanced down at a book that hadn't been there before. "It looks as if I'm going to Math. Let's go. I wonder when the first Virtue will show up."

Sighing, Robyn more wondered how this dream would end. So far, she had first died, then she found a treasure and finally fallen off a pirate ship into White Blaze's mouth. What would be the reason for Sage to wake up from this dream? Would it end badly?

By her appearance, she was in the dream to be Sage's "shoulder angel", opposed to Rowen the "shoulder devil". She must be there to direct him into making the right decisions. It shouldn't be hard; he only had to master one.

Robyn followed Sage through one of the classroom doors. Inside, the walls were just as bare as the students' faces, blank and eerie. As Sage took a seat in the front, Robyn stood nearby, confident that nobody else could see her.

When the bell rang again, a teacher, as faceless as the students, walked to the front of the class.

"Mister Faun, stand up," his deep voice commanded.

Recognizing the name, Robyn glanced around, finding Kento obeying from his desk at the rear. She was surprised she didn't notice him earlier since his face's features remained.

"You neglected to turn your homework in again yesterday," the teacher snapped. "This behavior is unacceptable. If it continues, you will fail."

"But I turned it in. I'm sure I did," Kento said, his face filled with concern.

"I think I would have seen it if you did."

"Perhaps it's lost. Maybe it fell off your desk."

The teacher approached Kento's desk in an aggressive manner. "Are you accusing me of neglect?"

"No, sir. Just that it could be an honest mistake," Kento assuaged, although his fists clenched at his side. "Could you check, please?"

"If you didn't do your homework, you should just admit it," the teacher grumbled.

"I did do it. I have yesterday's homework here, too," Kento said, holding out a piece of paper.

But the teacher didn't take it. "Turn it in at the end of class with the other students." He turned away from Kento and started his lesson.

Within seconds, the bell rang again, ending class.

"Short period," Robyn said, smiling for the first time in Sage's dream. "I wish school was more like this."

If Sage heard her, he didn't react but merely walked to the door. "I wonder how I'll pass those Seven Virtues. I thought that something would happen by now."

Robyn wondered too, especially with the appearance of Kento. Perhaps their friend was part of the challenge.

Just as Sage stepped out of the classroom, another familiar face popped out of the crowd, his face just as expressive as Kento's.

"Hey, Sage," Cye called, holding out an object in his hand. "You wanted to borrow this." Carefully, the auburn-haired youth placed a finely-carved, crystal fish with beautiful details in Sage's hands.

"Yes, I need it for a project," Sage explained, cupping the fish.

"Please be careful with it," Cye expressed with a worried expression. "It belonged to my grandmother. It's really important to me." A light blue glow appeared on his forehead, peeking between strands of hair. It was the kanji for Trust.

Robyn gasped. "Sage, do you see. . ."

"Thank you. I'll take good care of it," Sage interrupted with a smile, watching as Cye disappeared into the faceless crowd.

With Cye gone, Robyn repeated her question. "Did you see that on Cye's forehead?"

"Trust. Yes, I saw it," Sage acknowledged. "That is Cye's armor's virtue."

"I think it has to do with the Seven Virtues because the kanji on your forehead appeared and hasn't gone away," Robyn explained, pointing to the green glowing symbol.

Sage looked upward as if trying to see the writing. "But that doesn't make sense. How could Trust be a Deadly Virtue?"

"Maybe if you trust the wrong person?" Robyn guessed.

Sage opened his mouth to something more when Kento exited the classroom they had just left.

"Hey, Sage. I noticed that you didn't hand in your homework," the larger teen said with his classic grin. On his forehead, another kanji glowed orange, the writing for Justice. "The teacher is on a rampage, so I wouldn't get on his bad side."

"Thanks for the reminder. My mind has been on other things," Sage replied, juggling his book and the crystal fish to pull out his homework.

"I'll see ya later," Kento shouted as he jogged into the crowd.

"Another Virtue," Robyn pointed out. "They definitely have something to do with the challenge."

"Kento and Cye might be involved as well," Sage said with a nod. "I don't see how I'm to master those Virtues or how either one could be called 'Deadly'."

He didn't add anything more to the problem, just turned to the classroom to hand in his homework as Kento suggested. Before he entered, he stopped in the doorway.

"What is it?" Robyn asked.

"Shhhhhh," Sage hissed, opening the door a smidge without causing it to creek.

Robyn was about to remind the blond that nobody could see or hear her, but became intrigued by what she saw and heard on the other side of the door.

"Kento Faun. Class clown. Trouble-maker. Problem student."

Peering over Sage's shoulder, Robyn saw the teacher at his test, a single piece of paper in hand.

"He can't even make the effort to improve his handwriting," the teacher scoffed. "I can barely read this." With a snort, the teacher crumpled the paper and threw it in the trash.

"Hey, you can't do that," Robyn said, moving to open the door, but she fazed right through it. "He should get credit for his work."

But the teacher couldn't hear her. Frustrated, she turned to Sage so that he could right this wrong. But Sage was no longer listening at the door. Stepping through the door again, the young woman found him standing several yards away, but not alone. Leaning over him and speaking in a hushed tone was Rowen the demon.

As Robyn approached, she heard the dark angel's whispers. "It's too bad that such an unjust act will go unpunished, but there's nothing anyone can do," Rowen gloated.

"There is always something that can be done," Sage responded. "I'll do something."

"You can do nothing," Rowen argued.

"Yes, Sage can go talk to another teacher. Or the principal," Robyn jumped in.

"Yes, go speak to another adult," Rowen agreed, his voice like oil. "They're sure to take a child's word over a colleague. After all, teenagers are so reliable."

"Sage, the teachers know that you're an honorable person," Robyn persuaded. "They know you wouldn't lie."

"Your honest reputation will make your story believable," Rowen accepted, touching his mustache. "But the teacher. . .well, I doubt he will honestly confess. He could say that you were mistaken, that it wasn't Kento's homework that was thrown out. After all, you have no proof, no other witnesses. He'll tell lies to get away with it."

Sage's mouth tightened.

"Face it. Some unjust acts go unpunished. That's the way the world works," Rowen said with pleasure. "There's nothing you can do about it."

"There's always something," Sage insisted before marching away.

Rowen sneered, his eyes twinkling as if he just told a joke. His eyes then turned on Robyn, the first time he acknowledged her existence.

Robyn shivered at the attention before catching up to Sage. "What are you going to do?" she asked.

Sage shook his head. "I don't know," he seethed. "He's right. There isn't anything I can do. It's not fair."

"Life's never fair," Robyn said, feeling that the platitude only made the situation worse. "Even if you can't do something now, the teacher will eventually get his. Karma or something will catch up to him. In the meantime, perhaps there's something you can do for Kento."

"Karma?" Sage snorted. "Meanwhile, that teacher will continue to bully Kento and who-knows how many other students. It looks like I'll fail this Virtue." He clenched his hands. As if the crystal fish reminded him of his schedule, Sage raised the object closer to his face. "Come on. I have to get to Art."

Once again, they turned into a random doorway. To Robyn, it looked like any other door in the endless hallway. But once they entered the classroom, she could tell that this was definitely an art room. Unlike the other classroom, this one was filled with color, pictures and sculptures. In fact, it was too different from the uniform of the school that all the color and objects felt cluttered and garish.

"Sit down class. It's time to begin," a female teacher with no face called once the bell rang. "Take out your projects and continue working."

Sage obeyed, pulling out a lump of claw that somewhat resembled a fish. He placed Cye's crystal statue on the desk next to it, making his art project look positively hideous.

"Oh, so that's what you wanted it for," Robyn chuckled. "Yeah, you kind of needed a reference."

"Shut up," Sage muttered.

As Sage worked on the sculpture, Robyn glanced around, observing the other faceless students. Surprisingly, they all worked with fervor, kneading and shaping their clay with amazing speed, creating breath-taking statues that looked almost lifelike. With eyes wide in amazement, she turned back to Sage who worked with pain-staking slowness to make his sculpture worse than before.

"Attention class," a blaring voice shouted from above, causing Robyn to jump. By the static and gurgled tone, she guessed it was the intercom system. "Could you send Date Sage to the office please?"

The teacher gestured for the blond to leave.

As the two exited the room, Robyn expected to walk out into the hallway, but instead they entered a different room, one that looked like an office. A faceless woman sat at a desk and typed in a hypnotic rhythm at her computer.

"I was called to the office," Sage reported to the woman.

"Yes, the counselor wanted to see you," the woman said, not even pausing in her typing. "Go right on in."

Behind the woman was another door, and Robyn followed Sage through it. On the other side sat Kayura behind a desk, looking older than the young girl from before. She appeared to be in her late twenties, wearing a button up shirt, pencil skirt and glasses.

"Mr. Date, please take a seat," Kayura said with a wave of her hand.

Kayura picked up a file and scanned through it. "I see that you have already decided on which college you want to apply to. Your test scores are good enough, especially with your extra-curricular activities. You have a good chance of getting in." She lowered her glasses, resting her elbows on the desk. "The reason I called you in is because you expressed an interest in getting a scholarship."

Sage nodded.

"Unfortunately, you do not meet the requirements for most scholarships which are designed for students of low-income households or parents who didn't go to college," Kayura explained, steepling her fingers. "But I have found one that you qualify for, but it is very competitive. Each high school can only choose one student. We are asking those who apply for the scholarship to write an essay. Here is the information and the topics you can choose for your essay."

Sage took the paper and scanned it.

Curious, Robyn leaned over to look but couldn't read a thing. The paper only contained nonsense.

"I'll keep looking for others, but this may be your best shot. You might want to look into getting a student loan. The essay's deadline is in a week. Good luck," Kayura said, standing up and bowing.

Sage did the same. "Thank you, Ma'am."

Just as Robyn followed Sage out of the room, Kayura stopped them with a "Wait. Are you friends with Mr. Hashiba?"

"Rowen?" Yes, I am," Sage confirmed.

Thoughts of the dark-winged youth came to Robyn's mind, but she realized this must be the real Rowen. At least the real Rowen in the dream. Or out of the dream. Robyn sighed, hoping they didn't run into him. She couldn't handle two Rowens at once.

"We had an appointment today, but he called in sick. It's important that he gets these papers," Kayura said, holding out a manila envelope. "Could you see that he gets them?"

A yellow light glowed on her forehead, illuminating the kanji for Loyalty.

"Yes, Ma'am," Sage said, taking the envelope.

As they walked past the faceless secretary, Robyn said, "That's the third Virtue we've seen. But I don't understand. Does that mean you've failed two? Or are you given three tests all at once?"

Opening the office door, Sage shrugged.

Expecting the door to lead them back to the art room, Robyn felt disappointed that it opened up to the endless hallway. And sitting on top of the lockers was Rowen.

"I think we would know if I failed any of them," Sage guessed. "We'll just have to wait and. . ." He stopped once he noticed the dark form of Rowen.

"See?" Rowen finished the sentence as he jumped off the lockers. "I wonder what is in that envelope."

Robyn glared at him. Sage was directed to give the envelope to Rowen, but she was sure the demon wasn't the intended recipient.

"What could Rowen possibly need from the guidance counselor?" the demon wondered, falling into step alongside Sage. "I bet you know. Perhaps it is filled with scholarship applications." He pinched the envelope between two fingers. "Thick. There must be more than one."

Sage pulled the envelope away possessively.

"Sorry, I wouldn't want to wrinkle your smart friend's scholarship opportunities," the demon joked, holding his hands up as if Sage held a gun. "Not that your friend needs the help. With brains like his, colleges will throw money at him just to get him to look their way."

Sage looked at the envelope, then at the single paper in his other hand.

"I know what you're thinking. The answer is 'yes'," Rowen spoke in a satisfied tone. "She gave him the same scholarship information. You two are competing against each other."

"Don't listen to him. This is a test. You can't give into his words," Robyn jumped in. Unsure if the blond was listening to her, she touched his shoulder to get his attention, but her hand passed through.

"Go ahead. Slave all week on your essay. Work late hours and present your best work," Rowen sneered. "Your friend will slap something together at the last minute and get the scholarship. He's the school's golden boy, smart enough to run circles around you. Why even try?"

"Stop it!" Sage shouted, slicing the hand holding the envelope at the dark-winged Rowen. To his surprise, it went through Rowen, who disappeared as if a mirage. Breathing heavily, Sage looked around for him.

"He's gone, Sage. I think you did it. You passed," Robyn said hopefully.

"Nuh-uh-uh-uh," Rowen's voice called all around them. "The real tests are about to begin."

Sage glared at the empty hallway before turning into a doorway to enter a classroom.

Entering after him, Robyn saw that it was literally the same Art room, but not figuratively. When they left, the faceless students were quietly working on their projects, deftly molding clay like professionals. Now, the teens raced between the desks and tables, tossing balls of clay to each other and making a ruckus.

Within seconds, a boy leaped to catch a ball of claw lobed to him. In his energetic effort, he bumped Sage's desk roughly, knocking all of Sage's things onto the floor, including the crystal fish.

Silence fell quicker than the fish as the delicate object shattered against the floor. The rough-housing stopped; the faceless students standing still and watching as Sage rushed to the broken fish, falling to his knees.

"Oh, no. No no no, this cannot happen," Sage moaned as he scooped shards up.

The bell rang, and the students filed out of the room.

Robyn knelt next to Sage. She didn't dare touch him, afraid her hand would go through him again.

"I didn't think about it when I left. Cye is going to be so mad," Sage told Robyn sadly. "I can't believe I was so irresponsible with it."

"He will be mad, but not forever," Robyn assured her friend. "He'll forgive you. He's too kind not to."

"Yeah, tell him how it was all your fault. After all you two have been through, this one tinsy winsy kerfuffle won't shatter his trust in you," the voice of Rowen added.

Turning, Robyn saw Rowen standing smugly by the door. "No, it won't," Robyn reiterated. "He's better than that."

"Riiiiiight. Because trust is such a powerful, indestructible thing," Rowen said sarcastically. "I'm sure Cye will be trusting Sage with more priceless heirlooms in the future."

"He's right," Sage said, hanging his head. "I don't deserve Cye's trust after this. I should have taken better care of it."

"So unfair," Rowen pouted sympathetically. He walked over to Sage and squatted down. "If only it wasn't your fault. This one little incident shouldn't change your reputation as a trustworthy guy."

"But it was my fault," Sage admitted, standing up once he had gathered all the pieces. "I'll tell Cye that."

The smug smile didn't leave Rowen's face as he stepped aside to let Sage pass.

Robyn followed, but stopped to give the demon a dirty look. Rowen didn't acknowledge her presence, his eyes half-closed like an over-fed cat.

The second they stepped into the crowded hallway, a voice called out, "Sage! Over here."

Sage looked up and paled as he saw Cye approaching. With heavy footsteps, he met his friend.

"Did you finish your project? Did my fish help?" Cye asked with a hopeful expression.

"I'm so sorry, but something happened," Sage started morosely. He held out the crystal shards.

Cye's expression dropped, his face scrunching up as if fighting back tears. "Wha-How did this happen?"

"Yes, tell your friend how he put his trust in the wrong hands," Rowen mocked from behind. "Add to Cye's sorrow by telling him what a horrible person you are."

Sage grimaced as if in pain. "It was an accident."

"But you don't have to tell the truth. What happened _was_ an accident; it shouldn't come between your friendship," Rowen persuaded, his voice no longer mocking. "Sometimes a lie needs to be told to keep trust intact. Isn't that more important than the truth?"

"I-I was in Art class and. . .and this guy bumped my desk," Sage said, neglecting to mention he wasn't there at the time. "I couldn't stop it."

Cye sniffed as if to keep back tears. "I guess if there wasn't anything you could do, then it wasn't your fault," he said sadly.

"Sage?" Robyn voiced with disbelief. "You have to tell him."

"No, it wasn't my fault," Sage said flatly. "I'm really sorry."

"Sage, no."

"It's alright," Cye said. He gave the blond a complete, trustful smile. "Are you still coming over to watch that movie? My mom made cookies."

"Y-yeah, sure," Sage mumbled, his voice raspy. "I wouldn't miss it."

As Cye walked away, Rowen placed a hand on Sage's shoulder. "Don't feel bad. Would it have been better for contention to come between you? You saved your friendship. This was the best outcome." Rowen laughed as he walked away.

Robyn glared at the retreating black-winged young man. She felt that dark feeling in her gut as Rowen turned around and held up a single finger, indicating that the first Virtue had been failed.

"I failed," Sage whispered, dropping to his knees. "I knew I should have told the truth, but I couldn't stand the thought of Cye hating me. Maybe he wouldn't even if I told him what really happened, but. . .I couldn't take that risk."

"It's not too late. This was only the first test," Robyn said, touching his shoulder. She was glad that she didn't faze through him like before. "You can still back out. Don't let Demon-Rowen trick you."

"But that test was so simple. I should have passed it, but I wasn't strong enough," Sage growled angrily. "I need to know that I'm good enough to pass the next one. I need to know what I'm made of, that he can't get to me."

Robyn bit her lip. How could she argue against Sage's defense? Perhaps one more wouldn't hurt. He could back out after one more. He would certainly pass the next challenge.

"Sage, you do remember that this is a dream, right? This isn't real," she reminded him tentatively. "That wasn't really Cye back there. If you told him the truth, he would still be your friend because this isn't really happening."

"A dream?" Sage asked, shaking his head. He stood up. "That's right. A dream. I must have forgotten." He looked at his shaking hands and made them into fists. "But still. . .I failed in being a trustworthy friend. Even if it is only a dream."

Robyn sighed, realizing how shaken up her friend was. Before she could summon up any more reassuring words, two adult forms walked through the crowd of students. She recognized them as the Warlords Cale and Dais. They both wore suits and ties of an economical design.

"Mr. Date, a word before your next class," Cale spoke in a professional tone. "We were just informed today that your class's representative has moved to a different city. As your principal and vice-principal, we made the decision that you would serve as her replacement."

"Me?" Sage asked in surprise, shaking off the stress from before. He glanced around worriedly, seeing Rowen hovered at a distance.

"Yes," Dais said with a serious nod. "We feel you are a good candidate for the job. You are hard-working and dedicated to your studies. Many of the students could learn from your good example." The kanji for "Piety" appeared in violet light on his forehead.

Sage straightened up, matching Dais' seriousness. "I'll do my best to fill in for my classmate."

"Thank you. As the class rep, you must make sure to uphold the rules and set a good example to the others," Dais explained.

"Your class's behavior will reflect upon your leadership. Being the class representative will look good on your application to college, so take this role seriously," Cale continued. "There are a few students that could use a firm word to keep them on track. I trust that you know who they are." His forehead lit up as the kanji for "Obedience" appeared.

Sage and the two older men bowed to each other before heading in separate directions.

Robyn stayed silent through this transaction, her eyes widening. With the adults gone, she finally said. "Wow, class representative. I wouldn't want to be you," she said with an awkward laugh.

The class rep had many duties, including dishing out cleaning assignments, organizing class projects and keeping the class in-line when the teacher had to step out for a moment. It sounded like a lot of work to Robyn.

"This is great," Sage said, sounding more hopeful. "This is obviously a new challenge. I'm going to be tested on a Virtue as the class leader. As long as I follow the rules, I'll pass this one."

Robyn was glad that Sage was so optimistic, but she didn't like the arrangement. She looked for the smug face of Rowen, but the demon was nowhere in sight. "Just be careful. You've already been burned once."

Sage nodded.

Before Robyn could ask which class was next, a voice called out from behind, "Date. Date. Wait up!"

Sage stopped and turned, waiting for the faceless student to catch up. "What's up?" he asked.

"Hashiba's mom is waiting outside. She wants to talk to you, something about homework assignments for Hashiba," the boy replied.

"Could you tell the teacher that I'll be a little late?" Sage asked politely.

"No problem." With that, the faceless boy disappeared into the crowd.

Heading in the opposite direction as before, Sage set his pace at power walk mode. At this time, the bell rang again, and the hallway emptied rapidly.

"You'll be able to give that envelope to her, too," Robyn recalled. "Perhaps that's all you need to do to pass one of the challenges. It would be a kindness to him."

"Yes, a great kindness," Rowen's voice said. As if the demon appeared out of nowhere, he was at Sage's side, whispering in his ear. "So kind of you to hand over your only chance for a scholarship. I'm sure he'll appreciate your sacrifice."

"Stop it," Sage growled, picking up his pace. "I'm not like that."

"Like what? Human? Wanting something for yourself? A chance at success?" Rowen prodded. "Everyone is like that. You aren't so different. It's not like it's a big deal. Your friend won't even know the paper is missing. Think about how much loyal you will be to him with this one act of disloyalty. You'll have him to thank when you get that scholarship."

"I know what you're doing," Sage shouted. "It's not going to work."

Rowen slowed his pace so he was only a step behind the blond, a secretive smile on his face. "Suit yourself. Enjoy community college."

Rage on his face, Sage bolted down the hallway.

So he wouldn't follow Sage, Robyn turned to Rowen. During the other dreams, she had a hard time differentiating between the dream boys and the real-life ones. But with the smug smile and haughty mustache on this Rowen's face, she didn't have that problem. "Sage isn't going to fall for your trap."

"Isn't he?" Rowen asked, his face feigning surprise. "Then I guess I've lost. Gosh, darn it."

His mockery riled Robyn. "Yeah, that's right. You have lost, because Sage would never do something that underhanded to a friend. There may be people like that out there, but not Sage," Robyn stated with a nod of her head.

"He isn't? I wonder, how could you be sure?" Rowen asked, looming over her with his height and dark wings. "You would be surprised how many of 'people like that' are in the world, disguised as descent people. Especially when their guardian angel isn't looking."

Robyn glared before realizing what Rowen insinuated. Looking where Sage had run to, she saw that he was nowhere in the infinite hallway. Afraid for him, she ran with her wings dragging air behind her. The hallway changed after several dozen yards; instead of lockers or classroom doors, a large entryway with three sets of double doors appeared, large rectangles of glass framed in metal. Until now, Robyn never realized how the school had no windows. Looking out of the entryway, beyond the school was simply blankness, so white that it hurt her eyes.

Within seconds, on door opened and closed, Sage returning from whatever was outside the school.

"Did you give the packet to Rowen's mom?" Robyn asked, her mouth feeling dry.

"Yeah, I did," Sage said tiredly.

"That's great," Robyn sighed. "Then you passed. You won."

"Not exactly," Sage whispered, presenting a couple of papers in his hand. One was his scholarship application, the other an exact duplicate. "I-I wasn't going to do it. I just wanted to see the papers in the envelope. There's so many of them, over a dozen different applications. Then I found the same one I was given. I couldn't help myself. I kept thinking that this was my one chance, that I could definitely get it if Rowen didn't apply. Before I knew it, I slipped it out of the envelope."

"Oh, Sage. No," Robyn groaned softly. "How could you?"

"This is my life, Robyn," Sage turned on her suddenly. "I need this scholarship. It's my one chance. I only have one. In the end, I won't hurt Rowen. He has so many different scholarships. He won't know."

"But you will," Robyn whispered.

From behind Sage, Rowen appeared. With a grin, he held up two fingers, indicating that the second trial went to him.


End file.
